The Empty Cage
by Rathanel
Summary: AU. Desperate and rushed, Minato Namikaze is forced to rely on the Death God's seal, a seal he doesn't fully understand, and his son pays the price with his life. So who is the blond-haired kid running around Konoha? M for language and violence.
1. Hasty Decisions

-October 10th, 334 NE (Ninja Era)-

-6:30 PM-

-Konohagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Leaves), Konoha General Hospital-

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and soon-to-be new father, paced back and forth in the hallway, his body tense and full of nervous energy. His famous overcoat - with stylized flames licking the bottom edge and the words "Fourth Hokage" written in large, bold letters on the back - swirled around his feet as he moved. Every few seconds he threw a worried glance at the hospital doors that led to the room where his wife was currently in labor. He desperately wanted to do something_, _but knew that he would just get in the way; Tsunade-sama was overseeing the birth, after all. If something happened that she couldn't handle, there was little he would be able to do.

It didn't stop him from imagining such scenarios, however, each more horrible - and unlikely, he told himself firmly - than the last.

"Hokage-sensei, there's no need to worry so much. Kushina-sama is strong, I'm sure she'll be fine. Tsunade-sama won't let anything happen to her, after all." Kakashi said lazily, never taking his eyes off his ever-present orange book. His silver hair stuck straight up in the air, defying gravity as it always did. His mask-covered face seemed to be smiling as he giggled to himself.

Minato threw Kakashi an irritated glance, but he stopped pacing for the moment. "Why do you insist on calling me that? It sounds ridiculous," he snapped.

Kakashi looked up from his book for a moment, and even through the mask Minato thought he could see a grin on his face. "You are the Hokage and my teacher, after all. It's only proper." With that said, he turned back to his book, giggling again.

The Hokage sighed. "Thanks for trying to distract me, but you're plenty worried yourself. You've been reading that same page for the last thirty minutes."

Kakashi stiffened in surprise, then shook his head. "It's a good page," he insisted.

Minato let out a snort of laughter, then paused. "... Which page?"

The masked ninja was definitely grinning this time as he opened his mouth to answer. Before he could however, an unearthly roar reverberated throughout the hospital hallway, rattling windows and stopping the two shinobi cold.

The roar was more than just loud, more than just sound even. It was laced with an incredibly potent chakra and just feeling it nearly brought them to their knees. The roar felt terrifying, it felt overwhelmingly powerful, it felt... evil.

Minato recovered first, and quickly grabbed Kakashi's shoulder. With a yellow flash of light they both disappeared as shouts began to ring out throughout the hospital.

* * *

-A few minutes before-

-Makai (The Demon Realm)-

The Kyuubi no Youko lay before the swirling vortex that was the portal to the Human Realm, waiting patiently. Barren plains stretched out all around him, silent and desolate. His nine tails swayed lazily behind him, moving seemingly at random, stirring the air and creating dust clouds as they moved.

Soon the period of his banishment would be over. Soon, very soon, he would enter the Human Realm once more. He had waited one hundred years for this moment - one hundred years of bitter, frustrated anger, one hundred years of planning.

One hundred years of wondering what had become of his brethren.

One hundred years since those pathetic humans wielding their silly little powers had dared to turn against him. When they had launched their attack, he had been amused. Amused that they were so arrogant as to believe that mere humans, even working together, could ever hope to so much as inconvenience a Bijuu. Then they had revealed the full extent of their plan and summoned the Death God. He laughed outright at that. They apparently believed that demons such as he were mortal, and thus could be killed in such a manner. Fools.

He was shocked when he was sealed into a human child; he had not thought the human's plan would work even to that extent. His shock quickly turned to rage and he flooded the seal containing him with all his power, seeking to break free and wreak havoc upon those who would dare stand against him. His power quickly overwhelmed the seal, as he had expected. What he had _not_ expected was to be forcibly ripped from the human realm and sent back to the demon realm immediately after that occurred. He had barely had time to witness the devastation unleashed by the shattering of the seal before he had been banished. While satisfied that he had killed the humans involved in the attack, he did not feel victorious.

For a time, he assumed that the humans would soon banish his brethren as well, if they had not already done so. He wanted to confer with the others before returning to the human world and had sent emissaries to the other tribes calling for a meeting. After a year had passed without any sign of them in the demon realm and without any word through their tribes, he had been forced to consider that the sealing array had been meant for some other purpose. Whatever the humans had failed to accomplish in their attack on him had apparently succeeded elsewhere.

His brethren were still in the human realm and lacked both the means to communicate and the power to move freely between the realms.

Then had come the unwelcome discovery that the Death God had sealed the portal against him. With bitter clarity he now recalled the words the Death God had spoken to the human summoner, words he had dismissed as unimportant at the time – _"banished from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."_

He was pulled from his reminiscence as he felt the portal change, the feeling of the Death God's power fading away as if it had never been. With a victorious roar, he leapt to his feet and bounded through the portal, fully intent on finding his brethren – and exacting revenge on the humans who would dare interfere with the Bijuu.

* * *

-6:35 PM-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

Minato landed on the outer walls of the village, already scanning the surroundings for the source of that terrible roar. Kakashi landed next to him looking vaguely ill but alert. His headband was already pushed up, revealing a madly spinning Sharingan eye. All around them other ninja were appearing on the wall, confused shouts coming from all sides as everyone tried to get a handle on the situation. Minato's voice cut through the din, strong and clear.

"Silence! Did anyone see the source of that roar?"

All the ninja, even the ones originally stationed on the wall, shook their heads. Minato frowned even as his eyes kept scanning in all directions. There was no sign of any disturbance: no smoke, no chakra emanations that he could detect. He began snapping orders to the ninja assembled around him. Within moments, squads were spreading throughout the village to check for any damage, while others were heading for the other posts to see if they had detected anything. Given the lack of physical evidence they had to consider the possibility of a widespread genjutsu. This might have been a preliminary test by enemy ninja hoping to find any holes in village security. It could also be relatively harmless harassment, but none of them believed they were that lucky.

Sarutobi appeared a few moments later clad in his battle armor and looking every inch the veteran shinobi. Minato felt a little pride when Sarutobi nodded approvingly at him. His predecessor was clearly pleased to see that Minato had responded so quickly and effectively.

"Minato, what-" he began to ask, but his voice cut off abruptly as his face paled and his eyes widened in horror.

Minato turned quickly to follow his gaze and felt his own face go pale. Miles away yet still clearly visible stood a large form, glowing orange as the sun slowly set behind it. He sent chakra to his eyes, sharpening his sight as best he could. With his enhanced vision he could just make out the form of something akin to a fox, towering hundreds of feet above the trees. His heart nearly stopped when he saw that there were nine flowing tails spread out behind the fox.

"Dear Kami... a tailed beast. Nine tails," he whispered, his voice hoarse with fear.

It had been nearly thirty years since the last tailed beast sighting, the four-tailed gorilla in Iwa. The beast had battled the ninja forces of Iwa for nearly two days, laying waste to the countryside with its lava. Countless ninja had lost their lives battling the creature, and some areas in Iwa still had not recovered. Legends said that the more tails such a beast possessed the more powerful it was; if the four-tailed beast could do so much damage to Iwa, he shuddered to think how much damage this one could do, especially if it reached the village.

Konoha was the only Great Village to have escaped the ravages of the tailed beasts. Their good fortune had helped them flourish beyond any other village, but it seemed their luck had finally run out.

His mind raced, trying to remember everything he had ever heard about how to combat a tailed beast. The one thing all the reports agreed on was that the beasts were effectively immortal. No one had ever managed to kill one, or even seriously wound one, in all the battles that had taken place. Whether it was possible at all was a source of long-standing debate. Still, everyone agreed, however reluctantly, that such a feat was beyond the power of any ninja, no matter how powerful or numerous.

The only successful strategy was fuinjutsu, specifically containment seals tied to a living host. There were rumors that Suna had managed to contain the one-tailed beast into an object for a time, but the container had failed within a week and unleashed the beast to once again ravage Wind Country. No other tailed beast had ever been sealed into an inanimate object that he knew of.

The reports he had heard also suggested that the younger the host, the better. Several adult ninja - and even a few teenagers - had been selected as hosts, only to have their bodies swiftly begin to break down under the strain. They had died and the beasts were released or resealed within a year at most.

Further complicating matters, the containment seal used had to be of sufficient power relative to the tailed beast it would contain. The seal holding back the one-tailed beast had proven wholly insufficient when the Village Hidden in the Grass had attempted to use it on the three-tailed beast. That failed attempt and the disastrous aftermath had weakened the Grass Village to such an extent that it was still trying to recover over fifty years later.

Minato's mind swiftly sorted through all the information he had available and determined the best course of action. To seal the nine-tailed beast, he would have to use the strongest seal possible on the youngest container possible. He already has a seal in mind – one which summoned the God of Death itself. He had been researching it out of curiosity, wondering what would lead someone to design such a seal that cost the life of its user. He supposed he knew the answer to that question now, though he wished he did not.

As for the host, a child that was newly born would be the best. A child that was born today, such as–

His mind shied away from following that thought to its conclusion. He snapped out of its musings when he heard Sarutobi call for him again.

"Minato!" Sarutobi said sharply. "You need to begin the evacuation."

Minato shook himself, and nodded. He drew in a slow breath, then spoke. "I need volunteers to slow the beast's advance. The remaining ninja and anyone of genin rank will begin evacuating the civilians as quickly as possible. Sarutobi, I need you to organize the resistance. I..." His voice trailed off for a moment as he mind grappled with what he was about to do, what he was about to sacrifice. "I need to prepare for the sealing," he finished quietly.

Sarutobi nodded his acceptance. Unsurprisingly, every ninja on the wall volunteered to delay the beast.

Minato smiled; it was a sad smile, but proud all the same. "Thank you all. It has been an honor to lead you." With a yellow flash, he was gone.

Minato reappeared in his lab and immediately rushed to his worktable. The seal to summon the power of the God of Death was already spread out on the table, right where he had left it. The notes he had managed to pull together after weeks of exhaustive research lay off to the side. That information, beyond the requirements for using the seal itself, didn't even fill a page. He reviewed his own notes, realizing that he had made very little progress in understanding the underlying mechanics of the sealing array.

The most useful piece of information was a scribbled note on the back of the sealing scroll. It wasn't by the original author – the handwriting was clearly different – but it contained more information than all the journals he had scoured to this point.

_"The first test of the seal was successful, but too costly. The target was sealed, but when we lowered the protective barrier, Kenichi was dead. We examined the body but found no discernible cause of death. It seems that the God of Death is not to be summoned lightly."_

Minato had been unable to determine what they had tested the seal on, or even who had written the note. Nonetheless, it was confirmation that the strongest seal design he had ever seen worked. He would just have to hope it was enough to contain the nine-tailed beast.

He rolled up the design for the sealing array along with his brushes and inks, then disappeared in another yellow flash.

* * *

-7:20 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Tsunade gently handed the bundle containing Kushina's newborn son to the exhausted mother, smiling at the look of joy upon Kushina's face. Kushina looked haggard, her hair sticking to her sweaty face and her clothing rumpled and stained, but Tsunade thought she had never looked happier in her life.

"Have you settled on a name yet?" she asked. Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice and assistant, looked on with a smile, wiping away a happy tear.

"Naruto," Kushina said. She moved her hand and gently smoothed back the small tufts of golden hair that decorated the baby's head. "His name is Naruto."

Tsunade and Shizune smiled fondly, glancing at each other in amusement as they wondered if the name was supposed to mean "fish-cake" or "maelstrom". Though they would never say it, they thought either meaning equally likely considering Minato and Kushina's shared love of ramen.

Tsunade shook herself as she collected her thoughts. "Right. You are stable, Naruto is healthy, and everything is fine here. I hate to leave so soon, but something is happening outside and Shizune and I need to be out there to help. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Kushina tensed as her senses, previously overwhelmed by the agony of childbirth, finally detected the ongoing battle. She nodded quickly, holding Naruto a little tighter as she wondered what was happening outside.

* * *

-7:30 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha-

The Kyuubi flicked his tail, and three more ninja died.

Mindful of the events that led to his banishment, he dispatched any attackers quickly and efficiently. Though it amused him to watch the humans expend their energy attempting to harm him, they had proven that they could... inconvenience him, if allowed the opportunity. There was no real reason to stay in the area anyway, as he had already determined that there was no trace of youki within a hundred miles. Still, he wasn't about to ignore the fact that these humans had attacked him unprovoked. They had clearly forgotten just why the Bijuu were to be feared. It seemed a little... _reminder _was in order before he resumed his search.

The Kyuubi opened his mouth, and began to gather youki into a large ball that filled the space between his gaping jaws. Even as the youki grew denser and denser he could feel the humans gathering in one area, roughly a mile away and some distance from the village. It seemed they were planning to attack him en masse. The Kyuubi would have smirked, if the ball of energy would have allowed it. After a few more seconds of gathering youki, he closed his jaws around the ball, completely encasing it.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

Sarutobi gripped the wall tightly, his knuckles white and his face grim. They had succeeded in delaying the beast, giving Minato precious minutes to prepare the sealing array that would hopefully stop the beast once and for all. They had succeeded... but the death toll was horrifying. Over one hundred ninja, from chuunin to jounin, were already dead and he feared many more would follow if Minato did not arrive soon. Desperate for any option that would not result in further loss of life, He had directed his teammates Koharu and Homura to gather ninja in a clearing outside the village to prepare for a large-scale ninjutsu. They were to split the ninja into groups based on elemental affinity, and by now nearly two hundred ninja should be pouring their chakra into joint elemental dragon techniques.

This plan of attack was sound in theory, but he was unsure if the dragons would have any impact on the tailed beast despite their considerable power. All their other techniques, including individual versions of the dragon technique, had proven largely ineffective. On the other hand, while they may not be doing any discernible damage, the tailed beast was at least treating them as threats if the way it swiftly destroyed any ninja who came near it was any indication. Hopefully this long-range attack would slow it down without costing any more ninja their lives.

He squinted his eyes, watching as the Kyuubi began gathering energy into a ball in front of its mouth. He'd never heard of a tailed beast using this sort of attack before, but the amount of chakra gathered into the orb was staggering, and still growing at an alarming rate. All the ninja approaching the beast scattered immediately, but the beast made no move to attack, instead continuing to gather more chakra into the orb. Whatever it was trying to do, it seemed very slow and highly ineffective.

Then the beast swallowed the whole thing.

Sarutobi blinked, trying to figure out what the point of-

The blast that issued forth from the beast's maw was nearly blinding in its intensity. He let out a yell of pain as he covered his eyes, and felt a wall of heat slam into him, searing his skin. He was nearly blown off his feet, but quickly recovered and tried to determine what happened, forcing his eyes open and ignoring the pain with practiced ease.

A trench nearly half a mile wide and several miles long had been carved into the landscape. What had once been a lush, verdant forest was now a smoking ruin, every trace of life obliterated by the nine-tailed beast's blast. At the edges of the trench trees had been torn from the ground and flung back, and fires were raging for hundreds of feet on either side.

Sarutobi gaped. If that blast had been pointed at Konoha, half the city would have been destroyed. As it was, a huge swath of the forest surrounding the village had just been obliterated in a single attack. He could only thank Kami that the beast had such terrible aim. Judging by the trench the attack had left behind, it hadn't even come close to-

He gasped and his face took on a look of horror as he mentally traced the path of the blast. It ran straight through the clearing where the ninja had gathered to fuel the elemental dragon techniques. Now there was no sign of the clearing, and no sign of any shinobi that had been in it.

Sarutobi prayed Minato completed his preparations quickly. He didn't think they would be able to hold out much longer.

* * *

-7:45 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Minato barely managed to choke out the words "I'm sorry," before he disappeared from the hospital room.

* * *

-7:50 PM-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

"Sarutobi! Gather all available ninja and prepare to power a barrier technique around the beast," Minato called out as soon as he appeared beside the former Hokage. "I need you to keep it contained so I can perform the sealing. Throw this inside the barrier just before you activate it." Minato tossed one of his signature three-pronged kunai to the old man and disappeared.

Sarutobi caught the kunai easily and nodded grimly. He had seen the bundle in Minato's arms, and had a fairly good idea which child he would be using as the container for the tailed beast. He just hoped they could hold out long enough to activate the barrier.

* * *

-7:55 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha-

The Kyuubi laughed quietly as he felt the humans circling around him, spread out evenly yet keeping their distance. After he had unleashed the Menacing Ball on their little gathering, all the attacks had ceased. He even waited for several minutes to see if they would respond, reveling in their terror. A few more deaths, perhaps another Menacing Ball, and the lesson would be firmly planted in their minds.

Still, he really should stop playing around with the humans, he mused. His initial anger at their attack had rapidly cooled with every human he killed, and now he felt more bored and impatient than anything. After a few more moments contemplation, he decided that one last attack should suffice, then he could move on to his real objective.

He began to gather power for another Menacing Ball, this one aimed at the next highest concentration of humans with their odd power. For some reason, they were gathering within a mountain, behind what appeared to be human faces carved into the side. Were they expecting to hide from him now, after they had attacked him at first sight?

He stopped, the Menacing Ball swiftly dissipating, when the barrier snapped into place around him. This was disturbingly familiar.

Then a giant toad appeared in a cloud of smoke. That was new. It had been a long time since he battled anything from the Outer Realm, and given the outcome from the last time he was surprised one dared show its face in front of him.

Then he detected the two humans on the toad's head: One adult, with the largest concentration of energy in his body he had felt since his return, and a tiny child. He quickly grew alarmed as he realized just what was happening.

* * *

-8:00 PM-

-Inside the Barrier-

"I just need you to keep the beast occupied while I complete the jutsu! Buy me some time, 'Bunta!" Minato cried out, his hands flashing through seals so fast they appeared to be indistinct blurs. The bundle containing Naruto was nestled between his feet, his feet holding the bundle on Gamabunta's back as he anchored himself with chakra.

Even as Minato finished speaking, the fox-like beast snarled and shot forward, tails swinging in from all angles to strike at the giant toad. Minato's knees almost buckled as Gamabunta shot into the air to avoid the strikes, but his hands never stopped moving.

"That's easy for you to say, brat!" Gamabunta called out, leaping into the air to dodge yet another strike. He pulled out his _tanto_ to block, and the blade rattled in his hands as the beast's tails slammed into it repeatedly. "This thing is strong _and _fast! Shit, its tail–"

The rest of his words were cut off in a scream of pain as the beast's claws raked across his face. One of its tails had wrapped around each of Gamabunta's arms, and another was currently wrenching the giant _tanto_ out of his hands. Its claws were raised for another strike when it suddenly froze.

A chill seemed to permeate the air, and even Gamabunta shivered as he felt something ancient and inexplicably _other _descend upon the battlefield. The beast's terrifying presence and seemingly limitless power paled in comparison to this feeling, and for a brief moment Minato wondered if he had only managed to make the situation worse.

Minato watched silently as the presence seemed to coalesce in the space in front of him, hovering in the air between the tailed beast and Gamabunta. It appeared exactly as he had imagined, a skeletal figure clad in tattered black robes, a scythe gripped loosely in one bony hand.

"The boundary is sufficient, the vessel prepared. What shall be sealed?" the Death God asked, its voice echoing oddly within the barrier. Just hearing it sent tremors of pain throughout Minato's body.

He worked his throat several times before he could force the words out. He had imagined many times what actually being in the presence of the God of Death would be like. This... coldness, this creeping emptiness that flowed from his extremities into the core of his body was far less than he had imagined and yet somehow far, far worse. "I want you to take the tailed beast's soul to your realm and seal its power into my son," he said quickly, hoping to finish his task before he lost his composure entirely. He knew the price he would pay for summoning the God of Death and he was as prepared as he could be. At this point he just wanted it to be over.

He spared a moment to wonder what the Death God meant by the boundary being "sufficient". There had been no specific mention of a boundary in the notes he had read, though he did recall that the "test" was performed inside a barrier. He had assumed it to be a standard precaution, but perhaps it was something more?

The Death God paused, then shifted its head slightly and _looked _at Minato. The Hokage's entire body convulsed, and he barely managed to avoid landing on Naruto as he fell to his knees, gasping.

"Demon-kind do not fall within Death's domain," the Death God intoned.

Minato paled. "What? But-"

The Death God spoke again, ignoring Minato. "The Kyuubi no Youko shall be sealed within the designated vessel for as long as the vessel is capable of enduring. Upon the failure of the vessel, the Kyuubi no Youko shall be banished once again from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."

Minato tried to protest, to ask why, but he found himself unable to speak. Then the Death God _moved_. He vaguely heard Naruto begin to cry behind him, but his limbs seemed so heavy. His entire body was cold, now, and was swiftly growing numb. He thought Gamabunta was shouting something, but it seemed distant and terribly unimportant.

The beast reacted with incredible speed as the Death God stretched forth its hand, but even as it leapt into the air to gain distance, its body began to distort. The red energy that comprised its very being was inexorably pulled through the air, twisting and turning until it formed a vortex of power centered over the newborn child. A funnel stretched downward and connected to the seal written upon Naruto's stomach, and the entire vortex was slowly pulled into the seal. Naruto was screaming in pain, the sound ripping at Minato's ears and seeming to fill his entire world even as his vision grew dim.

The entire process took less than a minute, but to Minato it felt like an eternity.

"The sealing is complete. All within Death's domain and the boundary shall be taken in payment. Thus is the agreement," the Death God intoned. There was a moment of stillness, then the otherworldly presence vanished from the battlefield.

His attention was suddenly diverted to the ground, where the previously green grass - what remained of it after the damage Gamabunta and the beast had done to the landscape - was swiftly turning brown. The leaves were dropping from the trees in torrents, the exposed wood turning gray and crumbling.

Even as Minato's vision faded entirely, his mind churned, trying to process what the Death God had said. Something was wrong with that statement. Something was...

As the life faded from his eyes and his body stilled, he never noticed that Naruto had stopped crying.

* * *

**A/N: A few points of interest for those who are reading this story. This is an AU, and I will be laying out the differences between this and canon as the story continues, hopefully in a natural manner. I figure a couple of major changes I should warn you of now though... Madara Uchiha is dead. Deader than dead. Dead as a doornail. And there is no Mangekyou Sharingan. **

**Keeping those two changes in mind, I think you can already predict some major divergences between this story and canon, though hopefully I still manage to surprise you and keep you entertained.**

**With that, I set forth to revise and post future chapters.**

**~Rathanel**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 - typos and grammar**

**Revised: 09/08/2011 - typos, grammar, timeframe issue with Grass incident  
**

**Revised: 09/21/2012 - typos, grammar, POV issues. (Started reading through it again and couldn't stand some of the errors.) Cleaned up the AN.  
**


	2. Making Adjustments

-October 10th, 334 NE (Ninja Era)-

-8:00 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha, Site of the Kyuubi's Sealing, Inside the Barrier-

Kuushou, more commonly known as the Nine-tailed Demon Fox or even just 'The Nine Tails', was not annoyed. nor was he upset. He was far beyond such pale words. He was _furious_.

He had been sealed again. Sealed. _Again. _He wanted nothing more than to flood all his power through the seal and into his vessel to destroy it. He wanted to stomp out every last human life so that none would again dare inflict this indignity upon him. He wanted to scorch the land such that nothing would ever grow and every being in the human realm would realize the price for meddling with the Kyuubi no Youko. He wanted to-

His felt his youki churning as his emotions ran wild, and knew that he was a mere moment away from giving in to his desires and releasing his full power. Even as his fury burned hotter, he forced his youki to calm. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he gave in to his baser instincts, though only now that he was sealed again did he fully understand the circumstances. That pathetic human had attempted to steal his power using the assistance of the God of Death, and this was the result.

Kuushou played the Death God's words back through his mind.

_"The Kyuubi no Youko shall be sealed within the designated vessel for as long as the vessel is capable of enduring. Upon the failure of the vessel, the Kyuubi no Youko shall be banished once again from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."_

The "designated vessel" was clearly the human child, just as it had been one hundred years ago. The question was, what constituted "failure of the vessel"? He was fairly certain he had completely obliterated the "vessel" the last time, along with the surrounding countryside, so his previous experience wouldn't be useful for the sake of comparison.

He had only spent a brief time within the seal of the Death God before, so he had not really paid attention to its appearance; this time, he paused to take in his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of an empty white room, large enough to comfortably contain his battle form. The room had four walls, each with a metal door set in the middle. The doors were large, but the tops only reached halfway up his legs. He looked up, but could make out nothing - no ceiling, no sky, just endless white.

He moved to one of the doors, noting that it was currently closed. Upon closer inspection he could see that the door appeared to be fashioned of steel, as he would expect of human fortifications. Such objects were of incredible strength by human standards, after all. He checked for any sort of locking mechanism or handle. but found nothing. Experimentally, he lashed out with his claws and struck the door. He expected some sort of reaction: an energy barrier of some sort, or perhaps a physical sensation of resistance. He most certainly did not expect his claw to tear through the door as if it were made of mere wood.

Surprised, Kuushou paused to observe his surroundings. Other than the gaping hole in the door there was no change. Grinning, he began to condense his youki in order to reduce the size of his current form so he could fit through the door. He received another surprise, this one rather unpleasant, when the door began to shrink along with him. When he had reduced himself to only a few feet tall, the door stood barely six inches high. The rest of the room had become smaller as well, so much so that he could easily stretch out his tails and touch the opposite wall.

Changing his approach, Kuushou instead extended one of his tails through the open door and let his form dissolve into a mass of churning youki. As the youki passed through the opening, however, it began to grow even smaller. Even worse, the smaller the opening was, the harder it was for more youki to leave the room. When he flexed his youki to make the opening larger, the enter room shook and small cracks began appearing in the walls. He stopped flexing immediately and watched as the cracks slowly began to seal themselves. He also noted that the opening had grown ever so slightly larger. Storing that away for future reference, he turned his attention to the youki that was outside the room. As a being comprised entirely of youki, the stream of energy outside the room was as much "himself" as the mass of youki inside the room was.

What he found outside the room was troubling, to say the least. He could sense with surprising clarity the state of the child he was sealed into. He could discern the various organs, the pathways through which blood flowed, and even the outlines of what appeared to be paths for chakra, as the humans called their power. He had never been concerned with the particulars of human physiology, or any other living creature for that matter, but he knew enough in general to understand that the various organs were supposed to be doing _something._

Currently, none of the organs were working. The heart was not beating, the blood was not flowing, the chakra was not moving.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. As his youki moved throughout the body, the nearby organs reacted. The heart started to beat again and the blood started to flow. Even the chakra reacted, circulating throughout the body, some of it even moving closer to the youki and curling around it. Whenever that happened it caused a strange tingling sensation that Kuushou had never felt before. The chakra would always settle down when he moved away from it, so he decided to ignore it for the time being.

Kuushou withdrew his youki as much as possible while still being able to sense the child's body, and watched. Without his youki, the body quickly shut down again. He waited for several seconds, watching for any activity anywhere within the body.

Nothing happened.

It took him another few seconds to realize what the problem was, but when he did a wave of panic shot through him. The child was dead. He was certain the child had been alive prior to the sealing, so either the sealing process itself or the presence of the Death God had cost the child its life.

Kuushou braced himself, certain that he would be sent back to Makai – _again – _any moment now. Several more seconds passed, but nothing happened. Confusion swept through him, and he went over the Death God's words once more. Perhaps... perhaps "failure of the vessel" referred to the destruction of the physical body, rather than the death of the child's soul?

If so... Kuushou began to laugh as he sent as much youki as possible out of the room, spreading it throughout the child's body.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Outside the Barrier-

Sarutobi stared helplessly at the barrier, vainly trying to see through the opaque bubble that enclosed his successor and the tailed beast. All around him hundreds of ninja were pouring all their available chakra into the technique, fueling what was easily the largest barrier he had ever seen. He wouldn't be surprised if it was nearly half a mile in diameter.

Now that he had nothing to do but wait, he found himself reflecting bitterly on the many mistakes he had made in the last two hours. He had sent far too many ninja on what amounted to a suicide mission, and he wondered even now if their deaths had accomplished anything at all.

The rational side of himself knew that they had all volunteered, and he was proud of them all for their Will of Fire, but the guilt weighed heavily on his soul. It was a familiar guilt, and while these new burdens had plenty of company, that did not make them any easier to bear. But the worst burden of all, outweighing even the moment he had realized just how far his favored student had fallen, was waiting inside that barrier.

He had realized shortly after Minato turned over command of the battle what he intended to do. He had known of Minato and Jiraiya's research into the Death God's Seal, had even contributed some of the journals from his personal library. He just wished that he knew enough about sealing to do it himself. Minato was the most promising shinobi he had ever met, and even now he grew stronger and stronger. Minato had a wife who had just given birth and a son who should be able to enjoy life with both parents. Now... now that would never happen.

Sarutobi was drawn out of his musings as he noticed several ninja collapsing as they succumbed to chakra exhaustion. The genin and support ninja who lacked the necessary reserves to fuel the barrier moved in to assist them, but Sarutobi could see that more and more ninja would be dropping soon. Even the experienced jounin looked shaky and pale from the chakra drain.

He weighed his options at this point. He could send in fresh ninja and mandate the use of soldier pills and the Eight Gates – for those capable of it – to extend the duration of the barrier. Such a course could cause irreparable damage to the ninja involved and would likely still only gain them another minute or two. On the other hand, he could drop the barrier now, while most of his forces still had some power left and could assist in the battle. Given the Fourth's plan, it was likely that matters within the barrier were already settled, one way or another.

Nodding sharply, he made his decision.

"Attention all ninja! On my signal you are to drop the barrier and prepare to engage the tailed beast!" his voice rang out. He could see the ninja around him gather themselves, determination warring with fear in their faces. He waited a few more seconds, then shouted, "Now!"

The barrier flickered, then disappeared completely. Sarutobi himself lead the charge into the now revealed clearing, only to falter as he surveyed the scene before him.

The tailed beast was nowhere in sight. He could see evidence of a battle, as claw marks so large they might as well have been trenches were scattered throughout the area, and he could see impressions in the ground caused by Gamabunta leaping about. Gamabunta himself stood in the center of the clearing, eyes closed and head bowed. His sword was sheathed and his pipe was stuck through his belt. Blood dripped from jagged wounds across his face and head, but the giant toad paid them no heed.

Sarutobi moved forward to question Gamabunta, but his attention was suddenly diverted to the top of Gamabunta's head as a flare of chakra suddenly appeared. It was far, far weaker than what he had felt earlier in the day, but still unmistakably the tailed beast's chakra. He could also make out a baby crying at the top of its lungs.

When he performed a shunshin to the top of Gamabunta's head, he found the chakra already receding back into the baby, leaving no visible mark that it had been there at all. The child continued to cry insistently until Sarutobi finally picked him up, at which point he quieted under the gentle rocking and quickly drifted off to sleep.

He finally turned his attention to the figure lying nearby. Minato's eyes were still open, even in death, and his face was pale and drawn. The expression on his face was heart-wrenching - the pain and guilt he felt in his final moments was obvious.

Sarutobi slowly knelt beside Minato's body, and reached out with one shaking hand to close his eyes. He could feel tears streaming down his face, but he just let them flow. He pulled off his long scarf and laid it across Minato's head, then moved back down to the ground.

He paused on his way down to speak into Gamabunta's ear. "I would like to ask you about what happened inside the barrier, but I need to see to the village first. Can Jiraiya talk to you later?" Gamabunta gave a slight nod, his head still bowed in sorrow.

The moment he arrived at Gamabunta's feet he was surrounded by anxious ninja. None could voice their questions aloud but their concerns were plain to see. Some were eying the bundle in Sarutobi's arms curiously, while a few were clearly already drawing conclusions about what had happened within the barrier. Sarutobi scanned the crowd and soon spotted Kakashi's distinct shock of white hair.

"Kakashi." Though his voice was low, it rang out in the silent clearing as if he had shouted. "Please select three other ninja to serve as Minato's honor bearers. Our-" Sarutobi's voice broke from grief, but he forced the rest of the words out. "Our Fourth Hokage has fallen in battle."

* * *

-9:00 PM-

-Konoha, Hokage's Office-

"Ah, Tsunade-chan, thank you for coming so quickly," Sarutobi said. He smiled slightly, but kept his attention on the bundle in his arms.

"Well, whatever you need me for, just make it quick; I need to get back to the hospital. We've got a lot of injured ninja still, not to mention all the ones with severe chakra exhaustion," Tsunade said quickly. She was looking around his office in irritation, so it actually took her a few moments to realize what he was holding in his arms. "Is that a baby?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "I'm glad to see your skills haven't dulled over the years. This is indeed a baby. A very special baby, in fact."

Tsunade growled under her breath, but moved closer, correctly assuming that she was summoned to check on the child's health. She froze a few steps away, and then called out in shock, "Naruto?"

Sarutobi nodded to himself – Tsunade's exclamation all the confirmation he needed that, as he had expected, this was indeed Minato's son. "Ah, so they did go with 'Naruto' for his name after all. I thought they would."

"Old Monkey, why is Kushina and Minato's kid here? Actually, where's Minato?"

Sarutobi finally turned his face towards her, and she was shocked to see his reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Here, in this office, in front of one of his former students, he let his guard down and allowed his grief to show through. "You haven't heard?" he asked quietly, genuinely surprised.

Tsunade shook her head slowly. "All the patients I was working on were in no condition to talk, and I came straight here when the ANBU summoned me. What haven't I heard?" She tried to ignore the foreboding feeling that had settled firmly in her gut and the echo of long dead voices that were never far from her thoughts.

"Minato sacrificed himself to seal away the tailed beast. Given the beast's power, the only option was to seal it away into a child, the younger the better. I suspected he had chosen his own son as the vessel, and you have just confirmed that for me," Sarutobi said softly, turning back to look at Naruto again. His wrinkled hand smoothed back the small tufts of hair on Naruto's head as he continued to rock the baby gently back and forth.

Tsunade closed her eyes and bowed her head, quietly absorbing the news. Sacrificing his own life to protect others sounded exactly like something Minato would do. Even as she thought about the Fourth Hokage, the faces of Dan and Nawaki, her lover and her younger brother, flashed through her mind. All three had dreamed of becoming Hokage and protecting the village, though only Minato had achieved his dream; Dan and Nawaki had both died long before they even had the chance. And now Minato was gone as well. Kushina would be–

Tsunade looked up quickly. "Does Kushina know?"

Sarutobi shrugged slightly. "I honestly don't know. I sent an ANBU squad to find her first, actually. I assumed she would still be in the hospital, or perhaps back at their house. I expected her to arrive first, in fact. When was the last time you saw her?"

"A few hours ago now, just after Naruto was born. The attack had started and Shizune and I rushed out to see to the wounded."

Sarutobi frowned, wondering where Kushina could possibly be. He wouldn't put it past the incredibly stubborn woman to have charged out into the battlefield despite her weakened state, but he had seen no sign of her there, nor had he seen her rather unique style of jutsu.

"Well, I expect she will arrive before long in any case," he said, recalling the reason he had asked Tsunade to come in the first place. "In the meantime, I would like you to look over young Naruto here. Konoha has no experience with sealing tailed beasts, so unfortunately we have no idea what to expect as far as his health and development is concerned. I also witnessed the beast's chakra flaring up shortly after the sealing took place, though it hasn't happened since."

Tsunade nodded slowly, then stood and made her way over to Sarutobi. She motioned him to place Naruto on the desk, then activated her medical jutsu. The moment she started her scan she drew back with a low hiss. Sarutobi immediately went tense beside her, but waited for her to speak.

"Sensei, how is this seal supposed to work?"

"I... honestly don't know. Seals were never my area of expertise, that was Jiraiya and Minato's area. I know they've both been researching this seal for months now, so until I hear otherwise I would assume that it is functioning as intended. Why?"

"There are trace amounts of the the beast's chakra circulating throughout his entire body."

Sarutobi's eyes widened. "What?" he yelled. Naruto began to fuss as he lay on the desk, and he forced himself to keep his voice quiet. "What do you mean 'circulating'?"

"Well, everywhere blood and chakra flow there are also trace amounts of the beast's chakra." She reactivated her jutsu and began scanning again. She continued talking as she did so. "It's spread evenly throughout the body, not pooling in any one area that I can detect. It also seems to originate from behind his navel - I assume the seal was placed on his stomach? Over the View Gate?" She didn't bother to wait for his nod. "I can't detect that it's causing any damage or deterioration, though I can't say what the effects will be in the long-term. For the moment, I'd say it's actually helping, if anything."

Sarutobi relaxed slightly as she spoke. Perhaps this was how the seal was supposed to function. There could certainly be a lot of benefits to having a secondary supply of chakra, though who knew if the beast's chakra worked in the same way as human chakra. In fact, he recalled descriptions of other vessels using powerful and unique techniques in the past, techniques that no one had managed to replicate. Perhaps this was part of the secret.

Tsunade frowned suddenly. "What the..."

Sarutobi waited for her to continue but she remained silent, still frowning. "What? What is it?" he prompted.

"It... there was some sort of reaction between the beast's chakra and Naruto's chakra, what little of it there is at his age. I don't... I've never seen chakra _do _that."

"Do what?" He was getting rather annoyed at this point, and was on the verge of activating his own technique just to see for himself.

"It... where the two chakras come in direct contact, it sort of... vibrates. It doesn't seem to cause any damage or side effects, but... how? Why?"

"It _vibrates_? How in the world does chakra _vibrate_?"

Tsunade scowled and deactivated her jutsu. "That's the best way I can describe it, alright? When two different chakras interact they either blend together or repel one another. It's a basic tenet that all medics have to be aware of. I've healed thousands of ninja, and my chakra will either blend with or repel the patient's chakra. Always!" She was starting to get worked up now, her face flushing and her voice rising. "Medics train for years to learn how to handle the problems that interaction can cause! It's the foundation of modern medical ninjutsu! I have personally done years of research to explain and predict those reactions! I have never in my life seen chakra do... _that_!"

Naruto started fussing again, louder this time, and Tsunade snapped her mouth shut and turned away, stomping off to fume in the corner while still muttering under her breath. Sarutobi shook his head, torn between amusement at seeing Tsunade so passionate about yet another medical mystery and worry about what this could mean for Naruto. It was probable that this... vibration was due to the beast's chakra rather than something unique to Naruto, but that didn't explain what was happening or why.

"So... other than the oddity with the beast's chakra, he is in perfect health?" Sarutobi asked a few minutes later, seeing that Tsunade had calmed down and had moved past her "ranting" phase and on to her "research planning" phase.

She nodded distractedly. "Yeah, he's fine, every bit as good as when he was first born."

"Glad to hear it. Once Jiraiya gets here I'll have him check the seal and confirm how it's supposed to work, then Kushina can take him home, or wherever she would like to go." He mentally added a tally of at least two – or, on further reflection, four – squads of ANBU to her entourage. He wasn't about to risk losing Minato's wife and child to some enemy ninja who sensed an opportunity in the wake of the tailed beast's attack. He paused, then turned to face Tsunade. "She could probably use some company in the days ahead, you know," he hinted not-so-subtly.

Tsunade threw him an irritated glance. "If you think I'm about to leave her alone while she's grieving over Minato and adjusting to being a mother you're even more senile than I thought, Old Monkey."

Sarutobi smiled. "Indeed, silly of me to think otherwise."

* * *

-Same Time-

-Gaikai (The Outer Realm), Myobokuzan (Exquisite Tree Mountain)-

Jiraiya landed nimbly on his feet as the reverse-summoning spell ended, having completed its work in bringing him to the home of the Toad Summons. He took a moment to admire the gorgeous scenery around him; lush forests and thundering waterfalls greeted his eyes wherever he looked. Even the buildings the toads had created had a way of blending into the forests around them.

Konoha would always be his first home, but there were times when he was tempted to give up his work as a ninja and live in Myobokuzan. He had fought the temptation thus far, but every year it became just a little bit harder to resist the peaceful allure of this place and continue his work as a ninja. He knew one day, hopefully many years in the future, the toads would summon him to Myobokuzan and he would no longer be able to find it within himself to leave.

He shook his head; that day may be coming, but it was not today. Today he was here to learn about the last moments of his last and greatest student, Minato Namikaze - the man who had surpassed his teacher in nearly every respect, the man who had become Hokage before the age of thirty, the man who he had hoped would succeed him as the Toad Sage.

He greeted the other toads as he made his way to Gamabunta's dwelling. Word had already spread throughout the village if their solemn demeanor and consoling words were any indication. He let their words wash over him, thankful for their support but unable to truly face his feelings on the matter at the moment.

When he finally entered Gamabunta's home, he found the Toad Chief sitting quietly while his wife applied bandages to his face. Jiraiya was shocked to see that the wounds Gamabunta had taken in the battle with the tailed beast had remained after the summoning ended – that had never happened before, and he hadn't even known that it could happen at all.

"How are you still injured?" Jiraiya blurted out.

Gamabunta's eyes shifted to stare at Jiraiya. "The Bi- the tailed beasts' power is not to be underestimated," he said firmly. Gamabunta then paused uncertainly, struggling to find the words to explain the situation. "Their power is... not like the power of humans. Because they... when... the wounds they give us carry over, alright?" Gamabunta finally shouted out, frustrated. Gamabunta's wife Gamatsuchi smacked him on the back of his head, scolding him for moving while she was fixing him.

Jiraiya was rather surprised at Gamabunta's reaction to the question, and a little concerned as well. He knew there were secrets that the Toads kept from him concerning their own existence, but always before it had seemed like irrelevant details. Now he was certain the Toads knew something very important and _wanted _to tell him, but couldn't.

He thought about pressing for details, but his experience fishing for information that the Toads didn't want him to have told him that would be a bad idea. He may have signed a contract with them, and he may have their respect and friendship, but there were clear limits.

"I see..." Jiraiya said slowly, trying to convince himself Gamabunta and Gamatsuchi were not looking at him with pity when he said that. "Well, that's not why I came here. I wanted to learn about what happened inside the barrier. You are the only one who can tell us anything."

Gamabunta sighed and nodded, then began relating the events within the barrier from his perspective. When he was finished, Jiraiya looked over the notes he had hastily written down.

"'All within Death's domain and the barrier', huh? Guess that explains why all the trees and grass were dead, and why the summoner's life is taken. I guess the seal also protects the vessel from this, since Naruto survived the sealing. Makes sense, wouldn't be very useful otherwise," Jiraiya mused. He tapped the pen against his chin as he reviewed what he knew about the Death God's seal. "That would explain that third section in the left quadrant..." Jiraiya trailed off, mumbling to himself as he assimilated this new information into his knowledge of the seal.

Gamabunta shifted uneasily, but said nothing.

Jiraiya fell quiet for a time, then looked up at Gamabunta, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Did... did Minato say anything, at the end?"

Gamabunta sighed heavily, but shook his head. "No, Jiraiya, he didn't. Knowing him though, I'm sure he left some sort of message behind, but he didn't say anything while I was there. There was no time."

Gamabunta fell silent as Jiraiya forced back his tears and nodded slowly. "Right, right. I'm sure he did, yeah," Jiraiya said, wiping his face and taking a long breath. "Well, I need to let Sensei know about all this. Thank you for telling me, 'Bunta," Jiraiya bowed in thanks, then turned to leave.

"Jiraiya," Gamabunta called out quietly. "There's something else you need to know. The Great Toad Sage has issued a new prophecy. He says that one of your students 'shall stand in the path of the vengeful spirit', and that 'their clash shall reshape the world'."

Jiraiya felt rage wash over him. "Well, all my students are fucking dead now, aren't they?" The anger left as quickly as it had come, leaving a horrible empty feeling behind. "They're all dead," he finished quietly. He turned and left the building without another word.

Gamabunta sadly watched Jiraiya walk away. His last whispered comment barely managed to reach Jiraiya's ears.

"You aren't."

* * *

**A/N: Well, there's chapter two.**

**One of the problems I had to resolve before this story even had a hope of getting off the ground was limiting the Kyuubi's power. Even in canon, the Kyuubi is quite possibly the most powerful character in the series (short of the Jyuubi) - until of course Mr. Pink Eye winks at him, or he gets sealed, or... well, anyway. I had to come up with ways to limit his power while simultaneously allowing him to show just how dangerous he can be. You can see from the first part what some of those limitations will be, as well as guess at what it would take to "kill" him. The Kyuubi will have access to more and more of his youki as time passes, but he will still be forced to find other ways of protecting himself and defeating his enemies. Some are obvious, some will be either laid out or hinted at ahead of time, and others... well, that will (hopefully) be a surprise.**

**As for the "prophecy", those who are familiar with canon should know that the canon prophecy was never given in this AU. The prophecy given here is the first and only one Jiraiya has ever heard that involves himself or his students.**

**As for Tsunade, this is another departure from canon, if relatively minor - while Dan and Nawaki did die, she was able to cope much better and did not develop hemophobia, nor did she abandon the village to travel the world while drinking and gambling. I never found her back story to be all that reasonable - many, many ninja have lost far more and dealt with it without resorting to completely abandoning their duties. I can understand and sympathize with the pain and her need to get away from it all. I can understand resigning as a ninja. What I can't understand is all the other ninja, who have dealt with their own losses and kept going, continuing to respect her ****_as a ninja, _****nor can I understand how they would be willing to accept someone with that history as their military commander-in-chief. If it takes her over a decade (possibly two) to overcome personal losses, how can she be expected to operate as the Hokage, who ****likely must face losses of one sort or another on a daily basis? Further, how could they possibly accept someone who was a missing-nin in all but name as the Hokage?**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 9:50 PM - typos and grammar  
**


	3. Limited Understanding

-October 11th, 334 NE-

-3:15 AM-

-Konoha, Tsunade's Residence-

Kuushou was not annoyed.

Despite his success in taking over his vessel and restarting its vital functions – thus ensuring his own continued presence within the human realm – his initial experiments had already uncovered several limitations, even beyond the small amount of youki available to him.

The very first thing he tried was to extend his youki outside the confines of the vessel. It worked, but only to a point. Once his youki extended further than two feet, it was pulled back towards the vessel. The overall sensation was similar to when the Death God sealed him, but ceased once the youki was within the two foot boundary. By essentially "throwing" his youki he could extend this range significantly, but he lost all control of the youki until it was inexorably pulled back to him.

The sensation when that happened was disturbing as well – he lost all awareness of that part of himself, and when it rejoined his main body there was only a memory of nothingness. He had no desire to experience that further, and refrained from "throwing" his youki again.

He hoped that the two foot boundary could be extended in the future, but for now his ability to interact with the world was severely limited.

His next attempt was to form a solid shell of youki around the body and use that to move around. If it worked, he could emulate his normal movements, if limited in size and scope. This attempt was also successful, but, again, only to a point. The amount of youki he could pour into the shell while still maintaining the body's vital functions was incredibly small at this point, and the shell was paper thin. Kuushou was certain that the shell would not withstand even the weakest of attacks from his demon kin. The potential power of the human's chakra was currently unknown, but from what he remembered of the recent battle any of his attackers would most likely be able to pierce the shell with little difficulty.

Further testing was interrupted when the old human appeared and carried him from the battlefield. Kuushou felt the body reacting to the warmth and comfort offered by the human, and made another discovery. With his youki spread throughout the body as it was, he experienced everything the vessel did as though it was his own body.

The body also apparently functioned as a living being's would, despite the presence of his youki. In this case the body's functioning began to slow, though not to a harmful extent. In fact, this current state required even less youki to maintain than before. This must be the "sleep" that corporeal beings experienced.

While the body rested Kuushou himself, and more importantly his senses, was unaffected. He couldn't see out of the vessel's eyes as they were currently closed, but all the other senses continued to function. His own innate ability to sense the energies of the world around him was similarly unaffected.

So he observed silently as the old human spoke to the other humans, then later wept and ranted in the privacy of his office. Kuushou understood the language well enough, but lacked the context to make sense of his words. Kuushou filed everything away as potentially useful information anyway – he was stuck in this human vessel for the time being and needed to adapt.

Kuushou had feared discovery and death when the female human announced the presence of his youki – though she foolishly called it chakra, as if he were a human – but relaxed when the old human dismissed it as the proper functioning of the seal. For all Kuushou knew, the old human could be correct, though he personally suspected otherwise. He also paid close attention to the female's rant about the strange interaction between his youki and the vessel's chakra. This would merit further study.

When the second male arrived – and Kuushou decided he really needed to pay attention to names if he was going to pass as human – he listened closely to the discussion of the seal, but learned nothing of value. The second male was very quiet, unusually so if the others' words were any indication, and did not go into any detail other than to say that the seal was intact. Kuushou also paid close attention to the confrontation that occurred when the other female barged into the room. It appeared there was discord within the human ranks, and he could potentially use this to his advantage.

Which brought him back to his current circumstances. The second female - apparently the vessel's mother, if her words were any indication - had refused to put him down for hours on end. She had sought out the first female and they had talked and wept together for some time, but had discussed nothing of relevance that Kuushou could determine. Even the irony of their resolution to not let anyone mistake the vessel for the "tailed beast" grew stale quickly. It was difficult to laugh at their lack of understanding given his current situation.

And now they, along with the vessel, were asleep. He wanted to continue testing the limits of his current situation, but had already determined that any further "flares" as they called them would bring suspicion and mistrust upon him. Given his current helpless state, that was unacceptable.

Then he noticed that the body seemed to be demanding sustenance, and increasing the flow or concentration of his youki to deal with it did nothing to alleviate the problem. After attempting to use the body's limbs to rouse the female currently holding him, he was forced to call out using the body's vocal chords.

He, the Kyuubi no Youko, was now a helpless babe crying for his mother's milk.

Kuushou was not annoyed. He was _furious_. That his anger stirred his youki and only made the vessel cry louder did not appease him in the slightest.

* * *

-Same Day-

-8:55 AM-

-Konoha, Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

The Council Chambers located in the Hokage Tower were the traditional meeting place for the representatives of Konoha's government, both military and civilian. The room itself was large but sparsely decorated. Three large tables arranged to form a triangle stood in the middle of the room. One table was reserved for the ten elected civilian representatives, the second table was reserved for the representatives of the ten most prominent or powerful ninja clans, and the last table was reserved for the Hokage, the ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and any guests or representatives they chose to invite to the meeting. A few smaller tables were arranged along the walls, meant to hold food or refreshments for when the meetings ran long.

The representatives were currently separated, with the ninja talking quietly to each other on one side of the room and the civilians mingling on the other. The civilian representatives on the council had spent most of the night with their families as they marveled at the fact that they had been spared destruction. A few of their number had ninja relatives, sometimes brothers or sisters, sometimes children, but for the most part their immediate families had come through unscathed. They considered their good fortune both a miracle and a testament to the power of their village.

Their ninja counterparts had not fared nearly so well. The ninja appeared calm and stoic, but small gestures of comfort and commiseration could be seen as they heard of the losses each had sustained.

Of the ten shinobi clans which had a seat on the council, only eight were currently present: the Aburame, Akimichi, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Nara, Senju, Uchiha, and Yamanaka clans. The Kiyomizu and Murakami clan seats were empty, and would remain so. Those two clans had been on the decline in recent years and had been reduced to seven and five members respectively. There had already been quiet talk of revoking their seats on the council and opening them up for other clans or representatives to occupy, but that was all moot now. All of the clan members had been active ninja, and all of them had perished in the battle against the tailed beast.

While the other clans had survived, they had not done so unscathed. Shigeo Aburame had lost both of his parents and his wife, not to mention several other clan members. The Akimichi were traditionally close combatants and lost two members before it was determined their jutsu would be completely ineffective. The Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Nara, and Uchiha had lost several members each, including Tsume Inuzuka's husband, Kenichi. The Yamanaka were keeping it quiet for the moment, but several members had attempted to utilize their mind-based jutsu against the Kyuubi and had yet to awake. There was some hope they could still recover, but it diminished with each passing hour. The Senju clan, consisting solely of Tsunade Senju, was technically the only clan to come through the conflict without losses.

At precisely nine o'clock, the council doors opened and Hiruzen Sarutobi strode into the chamber, accompanied by the ANBU Commander in the traditional dragon mask and the current Jounin Commander, Kensuke Sawada. The room fell silent as their attention focused on the Third Hokage.

In the years since his retirement, Sarutobi had relaxed considerably and allowed a more laid-back, genial personality to shine through. He was still involved in shinobi affairs in an advisory capacity but generally appeared to be enjoying his retirement to the fullest. It was not uncommon to see him strolling through the village, enjoying the weather or idling in the park, simply observing the people of the village with a smile on his face.

That was not the man who walked into the council chambers. This man walked firmly and with a clear sense of purpose, his eyes sharp and his face grim. Despite his nearly sixty years of age, there was no sign of weakness in his posture or gait, and everyone in the room sat a little straighter as they remembered why he was known as the "God of Shinobi". They remained silent as Sarutobi stopped before the chair reserved for the Hokage. He turned and faced the rest of the council, but pointedly did not sit. Normally Sarutobi would be accompanied by his two former teammates and closest advisers, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Their absence likely meant that they had not survived the battle with the tailed beast.

As everyone else took their seats, the Jounin Commander cleared his throat and began the meeting.

"Ladies and Gentleman, you all know why we are here. Our village has suffered a catastrophic loss of life, and we must act swiftly and decisively to both protect the village and replenish our forces. Among our many losses was Namikaze Minato, our Fourth Hokage, who gave his life performing a technique that ultimately ended the battle and prevented further loss of life. A moment of silence for our Hokage and our fallen comrades, please."

Everyone in the chamber bowed their heads. After ten seconds, Kensuke continued.

"Given this loss, our village is currently without a leader. As such, our first order of business is to appoint a new Hokage to lead us through this trying time. I hereby nominate Hiruzen Sarutobi, our previous Third Hokage."

Tsunade immediately spoke up. "Seconded," she said firmly. She was echoed a moment later by the ANBU Commander. The rest of the council quickly nodded in agreement, though Fugaku Uchiha hid a frown as he did so.

The Jounin Commander eyed the room for a moment, then spoke again. "Does anyone have reason to object to this nomination?" He almost managed to keep the smirk out of his voice as he did so, but several people in the room snorted, all of them amused at the thought of someone objecting to the God of Shinobi.

"Are there any other nominations?" Kensuke asked. He eyed the room warily this time. Despite Sarutobi's obvious qualifications and proven ability, there were at least two other people in the room who could make a serious argument for their own candidacy for Hokage: Fugaku Uchiha and Tsunade Senju. He personally didn't believe Tsunade would ever want the job despite her lineage and prowess, but Fugaku was another matter entirely. He possessed sufficient skill and more than his share of ambition, though he kept it tightly controlled in most circumstances.

Sure enough, Kensuke could see irritation shining through Fugaku's carefully blank facade. While the comparison of Minato Namikaze and any other ninja in Konoha - with the possible exception of Sarutobi - would always end in Minato's favor, the comparison of a Sarutobi well past his prime and years into retirement against a much younger and actively serving Fugaku Uchiha was not so clear cut. In terms of experience and skill Sarutobi would win hands down, but his age worked against him now. Fugaku was twenty-nine years old and was on the cusp of becoming an S-rank shinobi, and if appointed Hokage could conceivably enjoy a term of service nearly as long as Sarutobi's own. Sarutobi was still fit, but in ten years he would be an old man while Fugaku would be in the prime of his life.

Kensuke stiffened slightly as Fugaku slowly stood and cleared his throat. It technically wasn't forbidden to nominate yourself for the position of Hokage, though in practice it had never been done.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that I believe this village would be best served by appointing an experienced Hokage. I move that we vote immediately to appoint Sandaime-sama as our Hokage once more so that we can proceed to address the many pressing concerns facing our village." Fugaku spoke calmly and evenly, making eye contact with each person in the room in turn. He was looking directly at Sarutobi when he finished, and held his gaze for a long moment before he sat down again.

Kensuke was impressed despite himself. That little speech had probably done more to help Fugaku follow Sarutobi as Hokage than any amount of posturing could have; everyone in the room knew of Fugaku's ambition, and that he was willing to set it aside for the village spoke well of him, regardless of the motivations behind it.

Nodding slightly at Fugaku in respect, Kensuke waited for someone to second the motion, and Tsunade once again lent her voice to the proceedings. The vote was unanimous.

Sarutobi nodded sharply. "I thank you all for your continued faith in me. The Will of Fire burns strong in all of you, and with your support we shall come through this stronger than ever," he said, then finally sat down.

"Our first order of business is to assess the current state of the village in the wake of the tailed beast's attack. Dragon has surveyed the damage to the village and conducted a headcount of our ninja forces in preparation for this meeting. Dragon."

The ANBU Commander stepped forward and bowed. When the ninja spoke, the voice was distorted by the mask and unidentifiable as to age or even gender but was still quite understandable. "Yes, Lord Hokage. The damage to the village itself was minimal, limited to shattered glass and minor damage caused by the beasts roar and incidental damage accrued during the evacuation. No buildings or infrastructure were damaged." The ANBU Commander paused to gather his thoughts for a few moments, then continued. "The survey of ninja forces reveals that one hundred and seven ninja have been confirmed dead, with an additional two hundred thirty one unaccounted for and presumed dead."

Stunned silence filled the chamber. The civilian representatives had been isolated from the battle itself, and while they understood the danger had no idea the battle had gone so badly. The ninjas on the council knew things had been bad, but even they were shocked that so many had died. The ANBU Commander continued.

"Of the three hundred thirty eight ninja confirmed or presumed dead, seventeen were ANBU, eighty two jounin, one hundred sixty one special jounin, and the remaining seventy eight chuunin. In addition, there are twenty-eight ninja - two ANBU, seven jounin, three special jounin, and sixteen chuunin - who are listed as permanently disabled. Analysis of mission capacity and defensive capability is ongoing, but initial estimates indicate that, including all ninja who were away on missions during the attack, we have seven ninja cleared for S-rank missions, and less than thirty cleared for solo A-rank missions. If we maintain our current defensive allocation, Konoha will experience nearly a seventy percent loss in mission income in the next year alone. Projections indicate that Konoha will be bankrupt or overrun within three years."

Sarutobi's head was bowed as he heard the death toll. Three hundred thirty eight ninja, dead on his orders, while under his command. Only the death tolls of the Second or Third Ninja Wars compared, and those were spread out over years - this had happened in less than three hours.

The other members of the council slowly digested the news. The civilians looked faintly ill, their previous belief that Konoha had been spared by some miracle feeling hollow now that the consequences were becoming clear.

After a full minute of silent contemplation as each member considered the situation, Sarutobi spoke up. "Our most pressing concern is the manpower available for missions. We can't decrease our defensive allocation - if anything, we'll need to increase it. The other villages will test us once word gets out about the attack, and if they sense weakness they will not hesitate to take advantage. We also can't allow income from missions to drop so far. I will request support from the Fire Lord, but I suspect we'll be lucky to get enough to cover five percent of our annual income, and that will dry up well before we have recovered. He has always maintained that the village should be self-sufficient, and his generosity will only extend so far. The Logistics Division will need to provide specifics, but for the purposes of this discussion let us assume that we can allow income to drop to eighty percent of our current levels at most.

"In order to shore up our manpower, for the foreseeable future I will be placing the village on a limited war footing. All inactive ninja will be reactivated, including clan heads and clan elders. All leaves and vacations are hereby canceled, and all reserve ninja will be called into active duty. Dragon, how many additional ninja does that give us?"

Dragon thought for a moment, then replied, "In theory, that would provide us with three ANBU, roughly forty additional jounin and ninety special jounin, and over two hundred chuunin. However, given how long some of those ninja have been inactive, I would expect the jounin and special jounin numbers to be significantly lower, at least in the short term."

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I am also increasing the percentage of pay per mission allotted to the village, up to an additional twenty-five percent. Again, the Logistics Division will provide more concrete numbers as our exact situation becomes clear. At the very least this should buy us some time to train or activate additional ninja."

The shinobi representatives all winced, but no one voiced an objection. That measure would not be popular, even less popular than pulling some of their clan members out of their retirements. The majority of ninja, especially those without clans, lived off of their mission pay. An additional twenty-five percent would seriously impact their finances.

"In order to alleviate some of the increased demands on our ninja, I am also implementing subsidies for ninja housing and equipment. Any and all ninja will pay reduced prices for goods and services provided by civilians for as long as I deem necessary."

The ninja relaxed slightly, nodding to themselves. They would likely still see less money overall, but this measure would help significantly, and would make the situation much more palatable to the average ninja.

Some of the civilians, on the other hand, frowned. They knew better than to interrupt at the moment, but they didn't see why it was necessary to cut into their own profits. They already supported the village through taxes and mission fees, and diverting even more of their funds to support the ninja seemed excessive. If the ninja needed more money, they should run more missions. The ninja certainly weren't falling over themselves to spend more money at their stores when business was slow, now were they?

Sarutobi continued, filing away the reaction of the civilians for a later time. "I want all of you to come up with additional ideas for either reducing spending or increasing income, preferably without levying additional taxes on the ninja population. Keep in mind that all ninja cleared for high-ranked missions will likely be unavailable for some time. We will reconvene tomorrow morning for further discussion. However, before we break, there is one other matter that needs to be addressed. It relates to how the Fourth Hokage was able to defeat the tailed beast."

The ninja on the council nodded knowingly, though a look of anger briefly crossed Tsunade's face. Several people noted it, though no one knew what it was about. The civilians on the other hand appeared to be confused. One, Naoki Taniguchi spoke up, the first civilian member of the council to do so since the meeting began. "Ah, Hokage-sama, what do you mean? Didn't the Fourth Hokage kill the beast?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "Actually, no, he didn't. No ninja has ever been able to kill a tailed beast, not even the weakest of them, the one-tailed. The Fourth Hokage instead sealed the beast into a vessel. What is important is the means he used to do so. Minato, along with Jiraiya, was researching an obscure seal known as 'The All-Consuming Seal of the God of Death'. They both agreed that it was the most powerful seal currently in existence, and thus he chose it to seal the nine-tailed beast. He did so knowing that the price for using the seal would be his life.

"As I understand it, Minato initially planned to use the Death God to kill the beast, or at the very least separate it from its power. Gamabunta, Minato's summon, was present during the sealing and told Jiraiya what happened inside the seal, and Jiraiya has since related those events to me. In short, the Death God was unable to kill the tailed beast. Instead, the Death God informed Minato that the beast would be sealed into a vessel and then banished for a period of one hundred years once the vessel failed."

The room relaxed, letting out a tension that had unknowingly been building since Sarutobi began relating the events of the sealing. One hundred years before the beast could possibly return to attack the village. The ninja, who were exposed to seals on a regular basis and had heard of the fate of the other tailed beasts, were already adding years, possibly decades, to that total as they considered the potential life span of the child selected to be the vessel. The civilians, who rarely encountered seals or concerned themselves with the details of ninja life, reached a rather different conclusion.

Naoki spoke again, curiosity evident on his face. "What is the vessel, Hokage-sama?"

"Not what. Who."

"_What? _The Fourth Hokage turned the beast into a person?" Naoki shouted.

Sarutobi startled, surprised at Naoki's conclusion. "No, he didn't turn the beast into a person, he sealed the beast _into _a baby. The child is the beast's prison, essentially. It requires a human being to contain a tailed beast, and the younger the child the more secure the seal," Sarutobi replied, attempting to keep the explanation as simple as possible, mindful of the civilians' limited understanding of seals.

Naoki slowly calmed down, then shook his head. "I... see, I suppose. That's rather... unfortunate. At any rate, I assume the beast, or child, or whatever, has already been taken care of?"

Tsunade jumped to her feet. "What is that supposed to mean?" she yelled out, her fists clenched. Yoshikazu Nara frowned, beginning to piece together a disturbing picture as he recalled certain other facts relating to Tsunade, Minato... and Kushina. Several other ninja were muttering to one another, wondering both about Tsunade's outburst and Naoki's odd question.

Naoki shrank back, startled by her outburst. "The Hokage just said that the beast would be banished for a hundred years once the vessel failed. Since the vessel is a human being, I would assume that 'failure' means death. It's a shame, but-"

Tsunade's face turned a particularly violent shade of red and she became an indistinguishable blur as she leapt across the room, fully intending to punch Naoki through the floor and not particularly caring if he survived the experience. Only Dragon's swift reaction saved Naoki's life as the ANBU Commander tackled him out of the way. Tsunade's fist passed through empty air before it met the floor and completely shattered it, peppering the other nearby councilors with shrapnel.

The room descended into chaos. The civilians were scrambling out of the way, shouting in fear or outrage, while the ninja moved to restrain Tsunade. Yoshikazu's shadow connected with Tsunade's and froze her in place, while the Akimichi councilman grabbed her arms and the Hyuuga councilman had his Byakugan activated and was poised to disable her at a moment's notice.

Naoki himself appeared to be stunned, even as Dragon lifted him to his feet. It took him several seconds to gather himself, but his voice finally cut through the din. "What...? Why did- You just tried to kill me!" He exclaimed.

Tsunade snarled at him, her face still flushed red with anger, but made no reply. Naoki sputtered for a moment and was about to continue when Sarutobi interrupted him.

"Councilman Taniguchi," Sarutobi said, his voice cold and harder than steel. "You have just implied that I, either personally or through an intermediary, have taken part in the premeditated murder of a newborn infant. Explain yourself."

Naoki paled dramatically, sensing Sarutobi's displeasure. Nonetheless, he calmed himself and straightened his jacket before addressing the room. "My apologies, Hokage-sama, I must have misspoken. I merely meant that, given the situation, it seemed prudent to eliminate the risk of the tailed beast's return as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I do not claim to understand the Fourth Hokage's plans or actions, but you yourself stated that the sealing did not proceed as intended. Given that, we can not know for certain the state of the seal or how effective it will be. Further, you quoted the God of Death himself as stating that once the seal failed, the tailed beast would be banished from the human realm for one hundred years. As such, if we deliberately cause the failure of the seal then we can guarantee one hundred years of safety from this threat.

"I had originally assumed that the vessel spoken of was an object of some sort. It is tragic that a human being was sacrificed in this manner, but I would hope that whoever the child's parents are, they are secure in the knowledge that their sacrifice has ensured the safety of the village for many years to come."

The whole room listened in stunned silence as Naoki laid out his reasoning. The ninja were forced to admit that his argument was logical, if somewhat off base.

Tsunade had resumed her efforts to attack the councilor partway through his explanation, but was firmly held in place by the combined efforts of the ninja around her.

Naoki sensed that the ninja on the council did not agree with his perfectly reasonable explanation, and desperately sought to divert attention away from the topic at hand, if only slightly. A bit of flattery wouldn't hurt either, he thought. He spoke again as an idea occurred to him. "Ah, in fact, Hokage-sama, you haven't mentioned the identity of the child or its parents. They should be recognized throughout the village as heroes for their sacrifice. Who is the... ah, vessel?"

Sarutobi had originally intended to rebuke the councilman for his insinuations and correct his flawed logic, but found himself at a loss. Technically, everything he had said was true. The sealing did not go as intended, the beast would be banished if the child died, and, though he hated the very thought, killing the child would ensure one hundred years of peace. As Naoki, and apparently most of the civilians, believed the seal to be faulty in some fashion, they would not accept that every day the child lived was another day added to that one hundred year total.

Even as his mind cast about for a way to explain the situation that would remove thoughts of murder from their minds, he heard Naoki's next question. Several scenarios where word of Naruto's identity spread throughout the village and would-be heroes sought to "slay the beast" occurred to him, and he responded swiftly to eliminate that threat.

"No, I have not told you his identity, nor will I. From this moment forward the identity of the vessel of the tailed beast is an S-Rank secret, and will be protected as such. If you betray this secret to anyone who does not already know it, you will be executed immediately," Sarutobi declared. He would be damned if he allowed any harm to come to Minato's child, especially from overzealous fools.

"Further, Councilman Taniguchi, you are correct when you state that you do not understand the Fourth Hokage's plans or actions, and should keep that in mind before you attempt to interfere with ninja affairs in the future. This matter is closed to discussion, and will not be brought up in the future. Am I understood?"

Naoki gaped in shock as the Hokage summarily dismissed his concerns. He nodded slowly, knowing that any other response would likely only make his situation worse.

"That goes for everyone else as well." Sarutobi continued, sending a sharp glare around the room. The other ninja nodded sharply, most understanding his reasoning and recognizing that the identity of a tailed beast vessel was often considered an S-Rank secret anyway. Tsunade finally appeared to be calming down after Sarutobi had dealt with the situation to her satisfaction, though she occasionally sent a nasty glare in Naoki's direction.

"Good. We will reconvene tomorrow morning, and I expect to hear some _useful _ideas on how to strengthen our village. Dismissed," Sarutobi said, and quickly exited the room. The other ninja followed on his heels, most already creating lists of which ninja in their clans could be reactivated, and which would need to be trained until they were once again fit for duty. Tsunade spared one last glare for Naoki before she stalked out of the room, muttering incoherently under her breath. Fugaku Uchiha was the last ninja to exit the room, a speculative look in his eyes as he reviewed the events of the meeting.

Naoki continued to gape as the ninja filed out of the room. "That's it? She tried to kill me! You aren't going to do anything about that?" he asked, half to himself. Apparently not, if the empty seats in the room were any indication. He shared a disbelieving look with some of his fellow councilors who had remained in the room, all of them wondering just how much had changed in the last twenty-four hours.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, ye olde Council. How we love to hate thee.**

**Rest assured that "Council Bashing", if the above could even be considered such, is not a major part of this story, nor will Naruto be assaulted by drunken mobs of villagers and ninja whenever he sets foot outside. That said, all is not well within Konoha. Very little of it is related to Naruto directly, but that doesn't mean certain factions won't try to use him to their own ends.**

**Canon-wise, the "Konoha Council" actually does exist, but consists solely of Koharu and Homura. The Narutopedia wiki states that those two are revered nearly as highly as Sarutobi himself for their dedication to Konoha. Shame that all their appearances in canon make them seem like assholes, if not outright antagonists. As you may have noticed above, I killed them off. I had already written five chapters before I realized that I had yet to include them, and could find no place for them in this story. Thus, death by Kyuubi.**

**However, the idea of a group of people who support the Hokage in running the village is an obvious and necessary one. There is no way one man could possibly keep up with all the work, information, coordination, and organization required to run a military village. Further, I don't see large numbers of civilians agreeing to stay within the village when they have no power or representation. The Council itself is ****_almost _****entirely an advisory body - simply being on the Council does not grant anyone power over anything, except for one somewhat common event and one certain very rare event. The bits of power they do have will be a point of serious contention in later chapters.**

**A bit more information on Kuushou's power and limitations. Bit of trivia in regards to the name: with the Kyuubi a main character, and often a PoV character, I couldn't just keep referring to him as "the Kyuubi". It felt ridiculous, especially given the changed background of the Bijuu. So I came up with a name. I took the kanji for "burning" and "sky", mushed them together in a way not wholly proper in the Japanese language, and came up with Kuushou (pronounced with the coo from cool and show), meaning "The Burning Sky". Not just a pretty name, either. I will come up with similar names for the other Bijuu if and when they are introduced. If you have any ideas or suggestions along those lines, feel free to drop one in a review.**

**You also may have noticed that the ninja always refer to the Kyuubi as "the tailed beast" or "the beast", while Kyuubi himself thinks of himself and his brethren as "Bijuu". That's intentional, and serves to underline a fundamental misunderstanding or lack of information on the ninja side. That lack of information will influence how they interpret certain other facts as they come to light.**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 - typos, grammar**

**Revised: 09/08/2011 - typos, grammar, tweaked a couple of parts in the council scene**

**Revised: 01/15/2012 - typos, grammar, tweaked the council scene slightly  
**

**Revised: 09/21/2012 - more grammar fixes and wording tweaks, mainly to even out the characterization of the civilian side of the Council.  
**


	4. Wheels Within Wheels

-April 18th, 338 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha General Library-

In the three years since the attack, Konoha had slowly but surely recovered. The ninja worked nearly to the breaking point - and past, for a few - and had to give up some of the luxuries they enjoyed during the earlier times of peace, but were nonetheless able to keep Konoha operational. With the latest batch of graduates from the Academy and the upcoming reviews to determine if any genin were eligible to advance to chuunin, there was even talk that the situation would return to manageable levels, which meant fewer missions overall for each ninja. For most of the veteran ninja, it would be a welcome reprieve.

Kuushou was only vaguely aware of the overall situation of Konoha, though he kept an ear out for any information he could potentially use. His first year, after the odd happenings of his first week, had been spent in ANBU HQ. That had allowed him access to a wealth of information that he had come to take for granted. He was not only able to observe some of the most powerful humans in the village as they trained or studied, but also overheard up to date information regarding all aspects of village affairs. It had helped fill in his understanding of how the village operated considerably.

That had ended after a year. He had instead been sent to an orphanage to live among "children his age", and had thus lost access to what he viewed as vital resources. His protests were dismissed as tantrums and "trouble adjusting", which only served to fuel his anger further. He had continued his protests for nearly a week before he determined that they would not return him to ANBU HQ under any circumstances. As was becoming all too common, he swallowed his pride and forced himself to adapt.

He resolved to form connections among the humans his age, connections that would hopefully prove useful in the future. He found that thinking of his efforts as similar to managing tribal affairs back in Makai helped, if only slightly. He had already determined long ago that demons and humans thought in very different ways, and he still found the actions of humans generally incomprehensible. Nonetheless, he persevered and attempted to form bonds with his "fellow orphans".

What a tremendous waste of time that proved to be.

His initial efforts lead him to the singular, inescapable conclusion that children, while idiotic, were far more observant than adult humans. Despite his study of their behavior and his attempts to mimic their actions and speech patterns - efforts which were apparently more than sufficient to satisfy the adults in the orphanage - he had failed miserably at his attempts to blend in where the children were concerned. After spending more than a few hours in his presence, the children tended to avoid him thereafter, describing him as "weird" or even "creepy". They were never able to explain why they felt this way to the adults when pressed, so the caretakers just responded with general blandishments to "play nice" and "get along". After a few months the pattern seemed to be set; the children would make token efforts to interact with him when urged by the adults but would never willingly initiate contact otherwise. The pattern continued to this day.

Despite his failure to form connections, the overall situation had improved considerably as far as Kuushou was concerned. Ironically, his isolation had proven to be a boon in this regard, as he was able to sneak away without drawing attention and spend his time observing the rest of the village. He initially focused his efforts on studying the interactions of adult humans in an effort to prepare for the future, but changed his path considerably when he discovered that the humans kept a repository of all their knowledge, and that it was open to the public.

It took him a few hours to construct a scenario that would allow him unfettered access to this "library" without attracting undue attention, but once again his isolation proved a boon. After pestering anyone who would listen to "teach him to read" because he was "bored" since "no one would play with him", he was introduced to the written word far earlier than was the norm for children. When he picked up the requisite skill at a voracious rate, the adults began to chatter excitedly about a "genius intellect" and actually went out of their way to encourage him. Seeing an opportunity, Kuushou willingly played along, taking whatever tests and answering whatever questions they wanted him to, as long as he got more books.

He was careful not to present himself as knowledgeable, however, just intelligent. The latter was beneficial, the former could prove disastrous. He "miraculously" grasped most concepts after only seeing them once, but he made sure he "didn't know" if he couldn't explain where he had acquired such knowledge. As he was given access to more advanced books and scrolls, however, he soon had a ready excuse to allay any suspicions.

The last few months Kuushou had spent the majority of his time holed up in the library, gradually increasing the difficulty of the subjects he studied. He had already begun studying subjects generally taught to children twice his age, and hoped to move even higher soon. Once he had established that he could comprehend the text as well as any adult, he could then read any and all books without raising suspicion, and he could begin researching far more useful areas, such as human psychology and chakra theory. Even the dictionary they had given him early on had proven far more useful than he had imagined, providing some useful insight into how humans viewed the world.

Kuushou smiled to himself as he opened up his next book, "Legends of the Tailed Beasts". Yes, his current situation was irritating, but it was not without its benefits.

* * *

-5:30 PM-

-Outside Konoha General Library-

"You sure about this? I mean, it's just a kid. Four, maybe five years old? What's so dangerous 'bout him?" Masato asked quietly. He was a plain looking man; close-cropped black hair, average height, slightly overweight, sturdy clothing of common material. Most people wouldn't look twice at him, which was just the way he liked it. He was currently leaning against the side of a building across the street from the library, idly watching the people walking by as he conversed with his companion.

"_Yes_, I'm sure. Our source was very specific. The kid himself technically isn't a threat, but I can't tell you what is. There's a law about it, after all." His companion wore similar clothing, though he looked uncomfortable in them, as if he wasn't used to wearing them. He wore a large hat that provided considerable shade and just happened to also obscure most of his face.

"There's laws about murder, too. Particularly murderin' kids. Decent folk take that sorta thing real personal." Masato said dubiously, eying the other man.

"As if you care. You've already got your money, now just do the job." The man snapped, then turned and stalked off.

Masato smirked as the man left, then returned his gaze to the library across the way. The old bastard had a self-righteous attitude that rubbed him the wrong way, and Masato just loved to mock people like that. They treated him as if he was some sort of scum, when _they _were the ones hiring him to kill kids. Hypocrites.

It was true though; as long as he got paid, he didn't much care what he did. His "friend" had been kind enough to pay in advance, and paid well to boot. Despite all the doom and gloom talk about mysterious threats and civic duty, Masato would bet his considerable pay that this kid was some illegitimate bastard a rich merchant or nobleman found inconvenient. Wouldn't be the first time he'd been hired to clean up that kind of mess, and likely wouldn't be the last.

Another five minutes of waiting and his target walked out of the building, loaded down with books. A touch strange to see a kid readin' that much, but it gave him the perfect opening to approach the target without raising his guard.

"Hey kid, you need some help with those books?" Masato called out, a friendly smile on his face.

* * *

-11:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

Ibiki Morino and Inoichi Yamanaka stood at attention before the Hokage's desk, postures stiff and hands clasped behind their backs. They kept their expressions carefully controlled and professional, but beads of sweat were running down their faces despite the cool temperature of the room. Their eyes were glued to the man sitting at the desk, watching warily. Beside them stood the ANBU Commander, dragon mask firmly in place.

The object of their concern, Hiruzen Sarutobi, currently had his hands clasped before his face and his head bowed. His whole body would occasionally tremble and shake. They did not mistake this as a sign of weakness or illness however. No, the killing intent permeating the room made it clear that the Hokage was very, very angry right now. They just hoped he didn't decide to lash out at them.

Sarutobi's fist suddenly slammed onto his desk. A loud crack echoed throughout the room as part of the desk shattered from the force of his blow. "Damn it!" he roared. "Dragon, how the _hell _did this happen?"

Dragon bowed sharply. "I have no excuse, Hokage-sama. Hawk and Cat evaluated the man as he approached and determined that he was unarmed and possessed a civilian level of chakra reserves, and thus presented no threat. Given his... current state we have been unable to determine where he was carrying the knife or how it was concealed. Given his tactics and the speed of his attack we can only assume that he was a professional assassin. We have been unable to determine if he was trained as a ninja, though given his reserves it seems unlikely."

Sarutobi growled under his breath, but reined in his initial impulse to lash out at the ANBU Commander. Questioning the skills of his ANBU would get him nowhere, and would most certainly do more harm than good. That didn't mean he would let this pass without some form of punishment, however. "Hawk and Cat are to undergo remedial training for the next two weeks. I want them to report to Gai for an _intense _martial arts regimen. Am I understood?"

Dragon winced. Gai Maito had already established himself as a taijutsu genius and was considered the strongest ninja in all of Konoha as far as hand-to-hand combat was concerned. The absolutely brutal training methods he employed were even more legendary, and Gai considered such methods "normal". Dragon couldn't even imagine what would qualify as "intense" for Gai. Hawk and Cat would have a very, very painful two weeks ahead of them.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Dragon said stiffly.

Sarutobi paused, then broached the subject that worried him the most. "What have you determined about Naruto's... reaction?"

Dragon took a long moment to respond. "Based on the reports from Hawk and Cat, once the assailant stabbed Naruto he immediately began to walk away. They believe he was attempting to leave the area entirely before anyone noticed what had happened. However, before he made it two steps the tailed beast's chakra exploded from Naruto's body and formed what they described as 'large, animal-like claws'. These chakra claws grabbed the assailant and pulled him back towards Naruto. They state that the man began screaming in pain the moment the claws made contact, and our analysis of his remains indicates that large portions of his body were burned or dissolved.

"Our medics concluded that the tailed beast's chakra displayed properties similar to fire or acid. Without further experiments we are unable to determine whether this will always be the case for anyone other than Naruto, or whether the chakra changes depending on the situation. We can state for certain that Naruto suffered no ill effects from the usage of the tailed beast's chakra."

Sarutobi relaxed slightly, and motioned for Dragon to continue.

"Once the claws had a firm hold on the assailant, they proceeded to crush and tear his body apart, which killed him more or less instantly. Once the assailant was dealt with, the tailed beast's chakra withdrew and Naruto collapsed. Hawk secured the scene and called for a med-nin while Cat began applying emergency care."

Sarutobi pondered for a few moments, then asked, "Do you think Naruto-kun had control of the beast's chakra?"

"I do not believe he was fully conscious of his actions, Hokage-sama, but I do believe it was under his control, yes. The chakra did not exhibit the same malevolence as during the attack, which I attribute to the absence of the beast's consciousness. I believe the beast's chakra was drawn out as part of an instinctual response due to the severity of the attack. If the beast was in control the three civilian bystanders would likely have been targeted next. Instead the chakra immediately withdrew once the threat had passed."

"What happened to the civilians?"

"They have been detained for questioning, officially as witnesses - at this time they are still being held in ANBU HQ. I hereby request permission to alter or remove this event from their minds to prevent the spread of Naruto's identity among the civilian populace once their interrogation has been completed."

"Granted." Sarutobi said immediately. He then turned his attention to Ibiki. "What have you been able to find out?"

"As we are unable to question the assailant directly, we have canvassed the area for anyone who saw him prior to his attack on Naruto. Based on the description we provided, one of the librarians mentioned that she saw him talking to someone in a large hat that obscured his face shortly before the attack took place. With only that vague description to go on, our attempts to locate this possible accomplice have so far turned up empty. An Inuzuka squad is attempting to find a scent trail, but that area is heavily trafficked and they have had no luck so far.

"We have also attempted to compile a list of all known persons aware of Naruto's status and identity. Given the events immediately following the tailed beast's attack, the entire ninja force is aware in general terms that a vessel exists, and that the vessel was born on or shortly before October 10th of that year, but no more than that. Narrowing the list to those who know of Naruto's identity specifically still leaves us with over three hundred ninja. The ANBU Commander and Jounin Commander, as well as every clan head are, of course, aware. I presume Jiraiya-sama is aware as well. As Naruto's primary physician, Shizune-sama and her staff are also aware. In addition, due to their ability to detect the presence of the tailed beast, it was determined a necessary risk to inform all members of the Aburame, Hyuuga, and Uchiha clans. Due to the interaction between the tailed beast and their clan jutsu, all Yamanaka clan members have been informed as well.

"Further, due to Naruto's time in ANBU HQ and the frequency that ANBU is tasked with duties relating to Naruto, all members of ANBU past and present are aware of his status. There are sufficient med-nin qualified to care for Naruto that belong to one or more of the preceding groups that it has not been necessary to inform any other medical staff of his status, which fortunately includes the events of this evening. With the exception of those currently away on missions, all ninja on that list are currently accounted for and are considered to be in good standing with the village.

"That said, Shizune-sama was under investigation for a year after... her teacher left the village. As I am not privy to the details of that situation, I am unable to draw conclusions as to their potential culpability in this matter," Ibiki concluded.

"Given the nature of the leak, Shizune-chan and her teacher are not a risk," Sarutobi said dismissively. He knew of another name to add to that list, but was not about to bring it up given the present company. "I note that no civilians are included," Sarutobi said slowly. "And yet, someone hired an assassin to kill him. Am I to believe that one of my own ninja did this?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Ibiki said quickly, paling. "However, given the numbers involved, it is impossible to determine which, if any, leaked this information. There is always the possibility the information was accidentally released without the person's knowledge as well. At this time, the investigation has no further leads."

Sarutobi nodded, his face carefully neutral. Inside, however, he was seething. Someone had attempted to murder Minato's son, the boy he'd come to think of as his own grandchild, and while the one who had perpetrated the attack was dead it seemed that the person or people who hired him would be getting away with it.

He turned at last to Inoichi. "How is Naruto-kun doing?"

Inoichi frowned, uncertain how to start. At Sarutobi's impatient look however he quickly settled on relating the hospital report first. "Naruto-kun woke and was able to speak coherently a mere two hours after the incident, shortly after the surgery was concluded. He had no issues answering the questions I asked in the time I was allowed to visit him. In addition, Shizune-sama performed the most recent examination thirty minutes ago and was unable to find any evidence of injury. At all."

The other ninja in the room stirred at this. Sarutobi's brow crinkled in confusion. "Hawk and Cat reported that the blade was buried in Naruto's side..." he said, glancing at Dragon who nodded in agreement.

Inoichi shook his head. "From what I personally observed, given the state of his clothing and the amount of blood - well, maybe not the blood." He interrupted himself with a small shudder. He decided to restart his explanation. "His shirt had a cut located roughly between the fourth and fifth rib, consistent with a blow aimed at the heart. In addition, the med-nin who first operated on Naruto said that he removed a blade roughly six inches long from Naruto's side at the beginning of surgery, more than long enough to reach his heart. I understand that ANBU is currently examining the blade for potential evidence." At Inoichi's prompt, Dragon nodded again. Inoichi continued, "However, as I said, the latest examination showed no evidence of any injury whatsoever. Shizune-sama concluded that the injury had completely healed without scarring in five hours, perhaps even less."

Ibiki let out a low whistle. "Impressive. Is that the beast's work, or did one of his parents have a bloodline?" He asked, glancing the Hokage curiously. While Ibiki was one of the ninja fully aware of Naruto's status, his lineage was another matter altogether. To his knowledge only the Hokage and those the Hokage personally informed were aware of the identity of Naruto's parents, though there were plenty of theories.

Sarutobi sighed. "It's almost certainly a side effect of the beast's presence within the seal. When he was first examined following the sealing, the med-nin stated that the beast's chakra was spread throughout his body and was most likely 'helping' him in some fashion. I would call rapid healing help, wouldn't you?"

The other ninja in the room shifted uncomfortably. It was rather telling that Sarutobi still found himself unable to speak Tsunade's name, even though it was obvious she was the only one Sarutobi would trust to examine Naruto under those circumstances. Back then, anyway.

Inoichi cleared his throat uncomfortably. "There do appear to have been some minor... complications following his usage of the beast's chakra yesterday. Faint markings have appeared on either side of his face, three lines on each side. You have to be fairly close to notice them, but they are definitely part of his skin. Shizune-sama believes they may be a consequence of the increased amount of the beast's chakra flowing throughout his system. She estimates that the chakra currently circulating through his system is roughly three times what it was when he first moved to the orphanage. This is in addition to his own chakra reserves, which are very large for a child his age, more along the lines of what one would expect from an elite genin.

"Other than the marks on his cheeks, Naruto is fine physically and will make- or rather, seems to have already made- a full recovery. However, I have some serious concerns about his mental state."

Sarutobi turned to focus solely on Inoichi, much to Inoichi's discomfort. "Explain."

"While I am unable to use the Mind Transfer technique to perform a more thorough examination, I am trained as a psychologist and asked him the standard battery of post-traumatic questions to evaluate his mental state. What I found was... disturbing. Naruto has full recall of the events in question but has little to no emotional attachment to them. He seems to understand that someone tried to kill him, but feels nothing more than minor irritation regarding the attempt. He is similarly dismissive of his own actions, simply stating that he 'removed the threat'. In all seriousness, he was more upset that his books had been damaged than that someone attempted to kill him or that he had... ripped that person apart in response. Given that, I must disagree with Dragon-san's assessment of his reaction, at least partially. While the beast's chakra may have been used on instinct, Naruto had every intent of killing his attacker swiftly and decisively.

"I am generally familiar with Naruto's development up to now, and would agree that he is incredibly intelligent and mature for his age, though still occasionally given to fits of pique. I noted that these fits only happen when he is pulled from his studies. His previous observers have stated that he is too intelligent to connect properly with his peers and that he seeks validation and acceptance through learning and scholastic accomplishment. Prior to today, I would have agreed with their assessment."

Sarutobi felt a knot of worry and fear form in his stomach. He knew he wouldn't like what Inoichi was about to say.

"However, after my talk with him earlier I was reminded of several other cases I had worked on, and not in a good way. I reviewed his records again, going all the way back to his time in ANBU HQ, and his behavior was generally consistent with my theory." Inoichi paused, and inhaled slowly. He resumed speaking, his voice carefully calm and even.

"Naruto is constantly seeking to improve himself, and has developed a personality quirk which he uses to conceal his observations of the world around him. He is also incredibly pragmatic, absurdly so for a child, and considers harm to himself to be inconsequential compared to his objectives. He also actively avoids forming emotional attachments to people who aren't like himself."

Sarutobi's face paled dramatically as Inoichi continued speaking, and Ibiki looked faintly sick. It was impossible to tell Dragon's expression underneath the mask, but the rigid posture of the ANBU Commander's body spoke of considerable tension.

"I think the presence of the beast's chakra in his system forced his mental development to begin much earlier than is normal for children, and Shizune-sama agreed that this was indeed possible, at least in theory. I think Naruto was aware and cognizant as early as six months old and remembers his time in ANBU HQ. Further, I think that Naruto has modeled his personality after the people he observed in his earliest memories."

Inoichi paused, letting his words sink in. After a long moment where no one else spoke, he resumed in a quiet voice.

"Naruto has only acted out excessively on one occasion, shortly after he was moved to the orphanage. This period lasted for nearly a week. At the time everyone thought he was simply having trouble adjusting to his new situation, but now I'm not so sure. If I'm right and Naruto remembers that far back, he probably believes that he was kicked out of ANBU, and has been trying to get back in ever since."

Sarutobi's mind turned back to some of his previous interactions with Naruto, the words they exchanged then taking on a very different meaning in the light of Inochi's theory.

_"I'll make you proud of me, Hokage-sama." Naruto said, his face scrunched into an expression that was simultaneously serious and adorable._

_Sarutobi smiled indulgently, and leaned down to pat his head. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I wouldn't mind if you called me Ojii-san."_

_Naruto frowned, his face confused now but still every bit as adorable. "That wouldn't be proper, would it, Hokage-sama?"_

Another memory, this one from a few months ago, when he had heard about Naruto's incredible test scores.

_"That is very impressive, Naruto-kun. If you keep this up I might have to make some special arrangements for you." Sarutobi said, intending to encourage the boy, to show him that he was proud and happy for him._

_Naruto's eyes burned with a strange intensity as he said happily, "Thank you, Hokage-jii-san!"_

If Inoichi was right, Naruto hadn't seen those occasions as visits from a grandfatherly figure, as Sarutobi had intended. Naruto had seen them as evaluations, ones that he intended to pass at any cost.

Sarutobi fell back against his chair heavily, his eyes distant as he called up other memories, all of them twisting into a horrible mockery of the relationship he had tried to build with Naruto. "Kami, how could this have happened?" he asked. No one in the room answered him.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Sarutobi finally turned his focus back to Inoichi. "What can we do to fix it?" he asked.

Inoichi shifted uncomfortably. "At this point I'm not sure it can be fixed, in the sense that you mean. Naruto will likely always exhibit certain traits reminiscent of ANBU. That said, there is still time to show Naruto that he doesn't have to dedicate his entire life to rejoining ANBU. With therapy, I believe he could learn to value his own life appropriately as well as form meaningful connections with his peers. However, I also believe that in this case his peers would be children of ninja clans, rather than civilians. Given his inclinations and future career it is unlikely that he will respect civilian children enough to consider them worth his time, much less friends. Overcoming that particular hurdle will take considerably more time, I feel."

Sarutobi nodded slowly, his mind whirling with plans and possibilities. This situation was his fault, at least in part. If _she _had stayed and continued to oversee Naruto's development, they might have caught this problem much earlier. Shizune was skilled, but she lacked _her _experience and in his paranoia he had refused to allow Shizune to so much as see Naruto for over a year. He cursed himself for that decision now. A traitorous little voice in the back of his mind whispered that there was someone else who could have - _should have - _been watching over Naruto as he grew up. He squashed it reflexively, as he had many times before.

A few minutes passed, each of the ninja pondering their own ideas while they waited for the Hokage to either request their input or reach his own decision.

Inoichi gulped as the Hokage turned to him, a small smirk on his face. "Naruto-kun needs therapy, you say."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he replied nervously.

Sarutobi nodded to himself, the smirk growing ever so slightly. "And you believe he would have more success forming relationships with ninja children, rather than civilians."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The smirk threatened to become a full blown grin, now, and Inoichi felt his throat drying up. "You have a daughter about his age, don't you?"

"Yes, Hoka- wait, _what?"_

* * *

-April 19th-

-8:00 AM-

-ANBU HQ, Hospital Wing-

Kuushou was still lying on the hospital bed when he heard and felt Shizune enter the room. Rather than let her know he had detected her presence, he continued to feign sleep.

"Rise and shine, Naruto-kun!" she called out in a cheerful voice as she threw open the curtains.

Kuushou played his role to perfection as he grumbled incoherently and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.

"Now, now, none of that. It's time to eat breakfast, then I need to give you another checkup. If everything looks good, you'll be able to go home after that," Shizune continued, her stern voice tinged with amusement. She was glad to see him act more like a normal child. His usual demeanor could be a little worrisome at times.

Kuushou grumbled some more, but slowly sat up and stretched. He watched Shizune from the corner of his eye as she smiled at him. He was very familiar with her, of course, as she had become his primary med-nin around the same time as he was moved to the orphanage. She also insisted that he call her "Shizune-nee-chan", though he took great pleasure in annoying her by forgetting to do so every time they met. Speaking of...

"Good morning, Shizune-sama," he said lazily.

Shizune huffed and stomped her foot. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'nee-chan'? Honestly, for someone so smart you're awfully forgetful."

"Sorry, Shizune-sa, er, -nee-chan. It's just that everyone else calls you that, so..." Kuushou explained.

"And I keep telling you that you aren't everyone else. You don't remember it, but I was there when you were born, you know."

Inside Naruto's body, Kuushou rolled his eyes. He had long ago lost count of how many times she told him that. Externally, he smiled and scratched his cheek, looking faintly embarrassed.

As they settled down and began eating breakfast, with Shizune once again insisting on joining him as he ate, Kuushou decided to use this chance to finally broach a subject he had been leading up to for some time.

"Hey, Shizune-nee-chan... how does someone become a med-nin?" Kuushou asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He still wasn't well-versed in reading humans, so he missed the flash of glee in her eyes as he asked his question.

"Aww, does someone want to be just like their big sister? Well, it takes a _very _long time and is _very _hard, but you _might _just be smart enough to pull it off," she said teasingly. She was a little more serious as she continued. "But first and foremost, you have to become a genin. No one is allowed to study med-nin techniques before they are an active shinobi of the village, after all."

Kuushou rolled his eyes internally again. The human habit of teasing children was incredibly annoying. At least he was able to tease them back, often without the other people knowing.

"That doesn't mean you can't get an early start in your own studies though. I might have a few books you could look up that would get you on the right track, if you are really interested," Shizune offered.

Kuushou smiled widely, using the expression to which the adults seemed to respond so positively. Sure enough, a smile was soon growing on Shizune's face as well. "Really? That would be great! Thanks, Shizune-nee-chan!"

It really would be great, Kuushou mused. Without the med-nin guiding his efforts to fix the damage done to Naruto's body, it would have taken him much longer to heal himself. He was intimately familiar with how Naruto's body was supposed to function, and was learning about how it grew and changed as time passed, but correcting damage on that scale was far more difficult. If he was able to acquire training, he could fix any further damage much more quickly, and perhaps even begin to optimize or alter the body to better suit his needs.

Currently the body could only take so much of his youki before it began to break down under the stress, though he was gradually increasing the amount the body could handle. Manifesting his youki externally, as he had done when he killed the idiot human earlier, was much less stressful overall, and was limited more by the seal than the body. Unfortunately, it was also a dead giveaway, and could potentially attract the wrong sorts of attention.

His use of youki yesterday had been a calculated risk. Based on his observation of the human's response, it was likely that further use of external youki outside of "life or death" situations would not be looked on favorably. Thus, his need to find alternate means of utilizing his power, at least in the short term. Despite his success in increasing the overall amount of youki outside the seal, he estimated that any jounin ninja was still a serious threat to him, and perhaps even chuunin level ninja. An ANBU level ninja probably wouldn't even break a sweat, unless he managed to close the distance. He needed more time.

Shizune frowned. Naruto had withdrawn again, his face going blank as he focused on his own thoughts. She hated when he did this - no child should look like that. She cursed the Hokage for keeping her away from Naruto for so long - she should be raising him, not some orphanage and _certainly _not ANBU. Of course, ideally his mother would be raising him, but that was no longer an option.

"Naruto-kun," she said, gently laying her hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped to her hand, and his body stiffened slightly before relaxing. She hated that reaction too, but she ignored it for now. "Finish your breakfast so we can get to your examination. I'm sure you are eager to get back to the orphanage." She left it unsaid that he was likely more eager to return to studying his books than to reunite with any friends - as far as she knew, he didn't have any.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, which soon opened to reveal the Hokage and Inoichi Yamanaka. Inoichi seemed nervous for some reason, but the Hokage had a slightly smug look about him, as if he had just won some victory. Shizune hated that look - in her experience it never boded well for her.

"Greetings, Hokage-sama, Yamanaka-san," Shizune said, her tone polite but reserved.

"Hey, Hokage-jii-san, Yamanaka-san." Naruto said, waving. Inoichi's eyes widened slightly at Naruto's casual greeting to the Hokage, but his nervous look returned quickly.

"Hello, Shizune-chan, Naruto-kun. How are you feeling this morning?" the Hokage asked, moving to stand next to Naruto's bed.

Naruto smiled and moved his arms around energetically, as if trying to physically demonstrate his good health. "I'm feeling great! Shizune-nee-chan did a great job healing me up! I'm ready to get back to studying, and she says I can go back to the orphanage today."

The Hokage winced as Naruto finished speaking, and shared a significant look with Inoichi. Shizune was confused - she hadn't heard or seen anything unusual in Naruto's response, so what did those two pick up on that she missed?

"Actually, Naruto-kun, we're here to talk to you about that. We've been thinking that it might be better if you didn't return to the orphanage after all."

Kuushou stifled his budding excitement. It was unlikely they would send him back to ANBU HQ and the wealth of information contained there, but anywhere was likely to prove more useful than the orphanage. Perhaps the attack had swayed the Hokage to deliver on his promise of "special arrangements" early. He kept that out of his voice though, opting for moderate interest.

"Oh. Where would I be going then?" he asked.

Sarutobi nodded to himself, noting that Naruto had made no objection at the idea of leaving the orphanage. He had spent nearly an hour conferring with Inoichi about how best to word the offer and reasoning, and they had expected this response. "I think you would be better off living with a ninja family, with children who are more likely to share your interests. Yamanaka-san has a daughter around your age, and close ties to several other families with children your age as well. He has volunteered to take you in. Would you like that?"

Shizune reeled in shock. It felt like someone had just punched her in the gut, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. After her years of looking after Naruto, after dozens of repeated pleas and arguments that Naruto should be placed in her care, the Hokage just... gave him away. To Inoichi Yamanaka, of all people. The man had never even spoken to Naruto before yesterday! She was torn between screaming in frustration, breaking down on the spot, and lashing out at the Hokage in anger. It was a close thing, but she managed to pull herself together before she did something she would regret.

Sarutobi watched as Naruto blinked, clearly surprised at the offer, then turned to look at Inoichi. "Yamanaka-san? Why would you want me to live with you?"

Inoichi faltered slightly. Despite the Hokage's reasoning and very persuasive arguments, he still wasn't fully sold on this idea. He had nothing against Naruto, but his one daughter already ran him ragged and he wasn't sure he could handle Naruto full-time on top of that. Still, he had talked it over with his wife and they had agreed, and now it was time to follow through.

"Well, Naruto-kun, I know that you have had trouble making friends at the orphanage, but like Hokage-sama said, I think you will find it a lot easier to get along with children from ninja families. They would be friends you could relate to, friends who shared your interests, maybe even friends you could learn from." From the gleam in Naruto's eye he knew he was interested. Time to go in for the kill. "And not to brag, but Yamanakas tend to be very smart as well, and we have a large private library that I'm sure you would enjoy."

Both Inoichi and Sarutobi had expected that to be the clincher, and were thus very surprised when Naruto still hesitated. Naruto turned to Shizune and asked, "Shizune-nee-chan, what do you think? Would living with Yamanaka-san help me become a med-nin?" A _med-nin_? Where in Kami's name did that come from?

Shizune was overjoyed that Naruto would turn to her for advice on something this important. It proved that her efforts to form a relationship with him had not been fruitless after all. Still, she tried to look at it objectively and give his question serious consideration. It was obvious at this point that the Hokage would never allow her to become Naruto's guardian, even if she was allowed to look after him medically. It was also doubtful that another med-nin would be assigned to care for him just because he was living with the Yamanaka family, and she did agree with their stated reasoning - Naruto would likely do much better in a ninja home than the orphanage. And many Yamanakas were psychologists after all, they tended to- oh. Oh.

She turned to look the Hokage in the eye, then raised an eyebrow and inclined her head slightly in Inoichi's direction. When he nodded grimly in response to her silent question, she bowed her head to hide her face.

She felt like screaming at the Hokage "I told you so," because she had, on multiple occasions. She had told him ANBU was not good for Naruto, that the orphanage was not good for Naruto, but the old bastard had refused to listen. And now Naruto's situation had deteriorated so far that he needed to live with a psychologist full time.

After a few seconds of tense silence, she exhaled quietly and turned to face Naruto again. "Yes, I think living with the Yamanakas would help you become a med-nin, or anything else you want to be. I think you would be very happy there." It almost didn't hurt to say that, to willingly give him away to another family. Almost.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, some indications as to where the story is going and some interaction between Kuushou and other people. **

**Vague psycho-babble aside, Inoichi's theory and reasoning is very important. Kuushou isn't nearly as effective at blending in as he believes, and he's survived so far partly because the people watching him are concocting their own explanations for any strange behavior they observe. And since they believe the tailed beasts are basically mindless animals, if absurdly powerful ones, any intelligent behavior can't be the tailed beast and therefore must be Naruto.**

**What happened with Tsunade? Where's Kushina? Why is Shizune still in Konoha if Tsunade isn't? Very good questions... that I won't be answering right now. You already have most of the information you need to figure out at least some of what's going on, you just have to avoid making bad assumptions about information that I haven't given you. As you can see, Shizune ****_really _****doesn't like the Hokage... I wonder what he could have done to piss her off?**

**Cast your mind back into the distant mists of last chapter and recall that Kuushou had a two foot limit on extending his youki. That range has only expanded by another foot, but as shown in this chapter, within that range his youki is incredibly dangerous... if he can afford to be seen using it. Of course, grabbing a civilian by surprise and attacking a ninja who can react far, far faster are two very different things. About the only way Kuushou could hurt a ninja right now is to get in close and take them by surprise. Otherwise, he's got nothing. Well, he has his ultimate "blow everything to hell" suicide technique, but that destroys the vessel and sends him back to Makai. Not really a valid strategy for him.**

**Despite her portrayal in most fanfics as vapid, selfish, and shallow, Ino is actually a rather interesting character. There are a few fanfics out there where she is a main character that treat her more favorably that turned out incredibly well. She may or may not prove to be important long-term in this story, but she will be a prominent character nonetheless. Also, she's just really fun to write sometimes, providing a nice counterpoint to Kuushou's detached perspective and the older ninja's serious discussions and plotting.**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 - typos, grammar**

**Revised: 01/15/2011 - typos, grammar  
**


	5. The New Plan

-April 19th, 338 NE-

-4:15 PM-

-Inoichi Yamanaka's Residence-

"Ino-chan, came you come in here for a minute?" Kiku Yamanaka called from the living room. Despite what most people would expect from hearing the Yamanaka name, Kiku did not have blond hair. Her light brown hair hung loosely halfway down her back, though she often wore it in a ponytail when she was working.

While she had married into the Yamanaka clan, she was not a ninja nor did she have any desire to be. She had grown up working in her parents flower shop and continued to do so even after marriage. Her husband Inoichi actively encouraged her in her efforts as he knew how much the shop meant to her, especially after her parents passed away. It was fortunate that he had; the additional income from the shop had proven to be a godsend after the tailed beast's attack and the increased mission fees that followed.

Kiku also had Inoichi wrapped around her finger and knew it, though she didn't abuse that fact. Her daughter had inherited her mother's grace and charming personality and was similarly successful in manipulating her father, along with many other people.

"Coming Kaa-chan!" Ino's voice called from the upper floor, quickly followed by the rapid thumping of her feet as she ran down the stairs. She burst into the living room at full speed, nearly tripping over the table before she came to stop in front of the couch where her mother was currently seated. Even at four years old, Ino already had the delicate features and fair complexion that promised great beauty later in life. Her blond hair was shoulder length and pulled into a ponytail, and she was wearing a light blue dress and sandals.

"Ino... how many times have I told you not to run down the stairs?" Kiku said, her voice stern.

Ino winced, then said contritely, "Sorry Kaa-chan." Deciding it would be better to change the topic, she asked, "What did you want me for, Kaa-chan?"

Kiku shook her head in exasperation, but let the issue go for the moment. "Well, your father and I had a very important talk last night, and wanted to let you know about what is going to happen. It's not anything bad," Kiku hastened to add, seeing Ino's face begin to crumple with worry. "In fact I think you will be very happy, but it will cause some changes."

Ino quickly calmed down after her mother's reassurances, the vague, nameless fears her fledgling imagination had conjured up vanishing under her mother's soothing voice. "What's going to change? What did you and Tou-chan talk about?" she asked.

"Well, you know how your Tou-chan helps people sometimes?"

She nodded silently, vaguely aware that her father's job sometimes included talking to people for a long time and that they felt better afterward. She could understand that; she always felt better when her father talked to her, so why wouldn't everyone else?

"Well, there's a little boy who was hurt very badly. Remember how you felt when your arm broke, and how your Tou-chan and I helped you and made you feel better? Well, this little boy was hurt even more, and he doesn't have a Tou-chan or a Kaa-chan to help him feel better," her mother said softly.

She started tearing up, imagining how horrible she would have felt without her parents around when she was hurt. "That's so sad!" she cried out, hoping that this story got better soon.

Kiku smiled, pleased at her daughter's empathy and how well the conversation was going so far. "We think so too, which is why we have decided to help him. We want him to come live with us from now on, so that he has a Tou-chan and a Kaa-chan and even a Nee-chan to help him out. I know you always wanted a little brother, and now you'll have one."

Ino was surprised at this turn in the conversation, but Kiku had presented the argument well – she had picked up quite a few tricks from Inoichi over the years and understood how her daughter thought. Ino's face scrunched up thoughtfully as she mulled this new information over in her head.

"He'll live with us?"

"Yes, from now on."

"And you'll make him feel better?"

"Yes, we will." Kiku knew a little about the situation and wasn't quite as confident internally, but knew better than to express doubt right now.

She hesitated for a few seconds before she blurted out her next question. "And you'll still be my Kaa-chan and Tou-chan?" Ino asked, her voice uncertain.

Her mother swiftly moved from the couch to kneel in front of Ino and pulled her into a tight hug. "Always, Ino-chan. We love you and wouldn't let you go for anything."

Ino reveled in her mother's embrace, letting the warmth she felt wash her insecurities away. After a minute, she pulled back slightly and asked, with a sly grin on her face, "Can I make him call me Nee-chan?"

Kiku giggled softly, relaxing as Ino apparently accepted the upcoming change in her life. "We'll see honey, we'll see."

Ino giggled along with her mother. "What's his name? What's he like?" she asked after she calmed down.

"Well, his name is Naruto. He's _really _smart, and he likes to study a lot. He also has a sense of humor, though. Your Tou-chan told me about this one time when Naruto-kun was talking to his teacher, and..."

* * *

-5:00 PM-

-Konoha-

Inoichi nervously ran his hand through his hair again as he and Naruto walked along the road towards his home. He knew Kiku had agreed with the idea of adopting Naruto – they both knew that was what was happening, even if the official paperwork would list the arrangement as a long-term medical treatment – but he was worried about how Ino would take it. This was all happening very fast and he was unsure if his daughter would accept the intrusion of another child into their daily lives. He had great respect for Naruto and his burden, but if this jeopardized his relationship with his own daughter he would call it off in a heartbeat. Hopefully things would go smoothly, though.

He also understood the reason for walking through the town while under the effects of a henge, the technique disguising both himself and Naruto. While the technique wouldn't withstand close scrutiny, it was more than enough for the short walk to his home. It was much safer to delay the revelation of Naruto's survival and new placement until additional security measures were put in place in and around his home. Naruto had raised no objections when the Hokage applied the technique for him, as he lacked the training necessary to apply it himself.

Inoichi glanced over at the child walking beside him. Naruto had a small smile on his face as he walked quickly, keeping up with Inoichi's longer stride. Inoichi had initially tried to hold Naruto's hand as they left ANBU HQ through one of the low profile exits, but Naruto had refused point blank. Inoichi had then attempted to set a slow pace in deference to Naruto's age and size, but Naruto seemed to resent the implication that he couldn't keep up and started walking quickly, actually pulling ahead of Inoichi for a time.

Perhaps this display of speed and endurance was another expression of Naruto's need to prove himself as capable, even against a much older and more experienced shinobi. Come to think of it, Inoichi had never actually seen Naruto look tired... sleepy, yes, but not tired. Was that mentioned in the reports, or – Inoichi shook his head. He was getting sidetracked from the issue at hand.

Looking ahead, Inoichi could already see his house looming in the distance. He'd never felt nervous about coming home before, but the uncertain reception awaiting him had his nerves jangling. He could just picture his daughter's betrayed face staring at him accusingly, tears in her eyes. He would defend himself, but she would refuse to hear his excuses, his pleas for clemency and she would turn her back on him, refusing to call him "Yamanaka-san." any longer. Wait, that wasn't–

"Yamanaka-san," Naruto said again.

Inoichi pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at Naruto. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" He'd already resolved to get Naruto to call him something less formal, though from what he'd heard about the Hokage's and Shizune-sama's troubles in their efforts to do the same he expected it would take quite a while. That was a problem for later, though.

"Is this our destination?" Naruto asked, pointing ahead.

He looked in the direction Naruto was pointing and found himself staring at the front gate of his own home only a few feet away.

"Er, yes. Yes, this is my– _our _home," Inoichi responded.

Naruto cocked his head to the side as he took in the residence. Inoichi turned to look as well, trying to see his home through another person's eyes. It proved difficult, as everywhere he looked evoked memories, some sad, but most quite happy and peaceful. The two-story building was painted a pale yellow, the white columns supporting the roof of the wrap-around porch providing a nice contrast to the color of the house itself. The yard surrounded the house on all sides, and from their current spot in front of the main gate a small swing-set and sandbox were just visible in the backyard. The entire lot was surrounded by a low stone wall tastefully adorned with vines.

What really drew the eye however were the flowerbeds scattered throughout the yard. Each flowerbed had a distinct theme, yet when seen as a whole they blended together. Each group of flowers had been carefully selected to complement those around it while still providing something unique and beautiful. It was his wife's pride and joy, and the loving care with which she attended to the yard showed.

Inoichi finally looked back to Naruto, who seemed to have finished his own appraisal. "It's... nice." He said, apparently struggling with the words. He paused for a minute, thinking, then added, "Peaceful."

"Ah... thank you, Naruto-kun. I'm glad you like it." Inoichi said. Naruto smiled at him, but it was a fake "I'm smiling because I'm supposed to" smile. Perhaps he didn't like it after all?

Setting aside that concern for the moment, Inoichi moved the rest of the way to the house itself and entered, only dispelling the henge technique once the door had closed behind them.

"Kiku-chan, we're home!" Inoichi called out. He could barely make out some rapid whispering from the living room. He was rather startled when Naruto's head swiveled in that direction and a surprised look crossed his face. Could Naruto make out what they were saying? None of the reports mentioned that his hearing was unusually good... Inoichi sighed and added another item to the rapidly growing list of things he needed to learn about Naruto. He was a little disturbed at just how long that list already was, and it promised to grow much longer before he was done.

"We're in the living room, Inoichi-kun!" Kiku called out, her tone happy. Inoichi felt some of the tension drain from his shoulders; if she was happy, then Ino had taken the news well. The real test was about to begin, but it was a good sign.

The Yamanaka clan head led Naruto from the small entrance way of the house into the living room. He made sure that the first thing he did once he entered the room was to look straight at Ino and give her a happy smile. Sure enough, Ino was watching him carefully and smiled back once she saw his face. She then turned to look at Naruto and immediately stiffened, her eyes wide.

Inoichi began to panic as he snapped his head around to look at Naruto. What, what had he missed? Was Naruto scowling? Did he look unhappy? He wasn't bleeding or hurt, and his clothes were fine... what was Ino reacting to? His thoughts were interrupted when she let out a loud squeal and jumped on Naruto, hugging him with all her strength.

"You didn't tell me he had blond hair! He really is like a little brother! This is great!" Ino shouted happily. Naruto appeared to be enduring the treatment well, though his hands had moved as if to push Ino away from him before settling on patting her shoulder awkwardly.

Inoichi staggered slightly and exchanged a disbelieving look with his wife. All their preparation and worry, and Ino focused on his hair color as the deciding factor?

Kuushou continued to pat the small blond girl - Ino, he reminded himself - on the shoulder. He had expected a reaction similar to what he saw in the orphanage, not this... joyful reception. He had not been aware that human children placed such a strong emphasis on hair color. Though come to think of it, none of the children in the orphanage had blond hair.

He heard Inoichi clear his throat expectantly, and realized he was supposed to introduce himself at this point. Right, his tone should be slightly nervous, a touch excited. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't cheat...

"Er, hello. I'm Naruto. It's nice to meet you, Ino-nee-chan." Her shriek of delight as he addressed her as his big sister almost deafened him, but it was worth it to make sure he was accepted quickly by the child of the household. He would like to say he deduced this aspect of Ino's personality from her earlier words in combination with Inoichi's repeated use of the phrase "big sister" in their conversation, but that would be a lie. He had overheard Ino's whispered conversation with her mother after he entered the house and learned just what to say to make the best impression.

Kuushou kept his arms around Ino as she bounced in place, beaming at everyone in the room. Inoichi glanced at him with an odd look on his face, but it soon gave way to happiness as Ino's joy permeated the room. The tension Kuushou had seen build up in the walk from ANBU HQ had vanished entirely.

Kuushou then turned to look at the other person in the room. The mother, Kiku he thought Inoichi had said, was watching her daughter with a bemused and happy smile. Recalling that adult females liked it when treated as though they were younger, Kuushou struck again, making sure he smiled while he did so. Making a good impression would make sure he stayed; a ninja household, with its promised resources and connections, might even prove to be more useful in the long-term than ANBU HQ.

"Yamanaka-san, you didn't tell me I would have two nee-chans," he said, looking at the mother pointedly. Kiku blushed slightly, pleased at the compliment, while Inoichi gaped, looking at the boy as if he'd never seen him before.

"Inoichi didn't tell me you were such a charmer, Naruto-kun," Kiku said. "I'm Ino's mother, Kiku. You can call me kaa-san too, if you'd like."

So far, so good. Now, not too confident, a little shy. "Al-alright, Kiku-kaa-san," he said hesitantly, moving his eyes away. Kiku smiled fondly at his supposed embarrassment, while Inoichi was watching him with another odd expression.

Ino continued to bounce up and down in excitement, chattering rapidly about all the things she'd do with her new little brother. Kuushou felt a pang of unease as he noticed that Ino had yet to calm down. The girl would stop before too long, he assured himself. It's not like she was _that _obsessed with the idea of a little brother, was it?

Right?

* * *

-April 20th-

-8:00 AM-

-Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

The council was originally scheduled to convene this morning to discuss the impending arrival of the diplomatic delegation from Kumogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The meeting was mostly a formality to confirm that all the preparations were complete and take care of any last minute details or problems. While that remained the official purpose for the meeting, Sarutobi, along with Dragon and his newly promoted Jounin Commander Shikaku Nara, had come up with a plan to potentially expose the source of the assassination attempt on Naruto.

They all agreed that despite the large number of ninja who could have potentially exposed the secret, odds were high that someone on the Council had either arranged it or knew about it. At the very least someone might let something slip and give them a lead. If this plan failed to produce results they would regroup and consider other, more risky, ideas.

Once all the councilors had taken their seats, Shikaku began the meeting. "The first item on our agenda for today was to discuss the preparations for the Kumo delegation, and while that remains on the list, Hokage-sama has another matter he would like to address first. Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded to Shikaku and then stood, clearing his throat. "Esteemed councilors, as you may have heard there was an incident two days ago near the Market District. The investigation is ongoing, but I am prepared to release some details. It appears than an unidentified assailant approached a young child leaving the Konoha Library under the pretense of assisting him in carrying the books he had borrowed. After walking with him a short distance, the assailant then fatally stabbed the young child in the heart."

Sarutobi's eyes were sharp and searching as he scanned the faces in the room for their reactions. Shikaku and Dragon, along with the ANBU guards stationed around the room, were also watching closely. Cries of disgust and outrage echoed throughout the room, with Fugaku Uchiha looking especially horrified. Fugaku probably saw this as reflecting poorly on the performance of his clan's police force, Sarutobi thought.

However, there were two councilors, both civilians, who for a brief moment had smiles on their faces - Naoki Taniguchi and Harumi Kondo.

The desire to strike them down that very moment was surprisingly strong, but Sarutobi kept himself under control and reminded himself to focus on the bigger picture for the moment. Neither Naoki nor Harumi were supposed to know Naruto's identity, which confirmed that someone somewhere had revealed the secret. He had not noticed any of the ninja revealing anything other than the appropriate surprise and disgust, although Shibi Aburame's brow was furrowed slightly, a sign that might as well be screaming out loud for the carefully disciplined ninja. While none of the clan heads outside of Shikaku knew the identity of the supposedly murdered child for certain, it would not surprise him if the highly intelligent and logical Aburame already had strong suspicions at this point.

Naoki apparently couldn't resist a bit of subtle gloating, as he spoke up before the Hokage could continue. "You said the assailant was unidentified, Hokage-sama. Does that mean he got away?" His voice was concerned and troubled, but his eyes were laughing.

The Hokage grinned, his expression feral. "Oh, no, I didn't mean to imply that at all. He is currently in ANBU custody undergoing a thorough interrogation. Once he has spilled everything he knows, he will undergo a public execution. Konoha will not tolerate anyone attempting to kill children."

Naoki looked like someone had punched him in the gut, but he kept himself mostly under control as he slowly sat back in his chair. "That's... wonderful news, Hokage-sama," he choked out. Beside him Harumi looked pale and nervous, and kept glancing around the room as if she expected to be attacked at any moment.

Amateurs. It disgusted Sarutobi that such pathetic people would dare attack Naruto. Apparently it was only now dawning on them that they personally could be in danger from their little plot. They would soon learn just how badly they had been mistaken.

The rest of the council nodded grimly in agreement, although a few ninjas were looking at Naoki suspiciously. A faint buzzing could be heard from Shibi Aburame as the insects with which his family formed a symbiotic relationship reflected his agitation.

One of the other civilian councilors spoke up next. "Hokage-sama, who was the murdered child?"

The Hokage sighed softly. "We are still trying to locate the child's parents or guardians. At this time, we are not ready to release any information as to the child's identity." A small lie, but a necessary one for the moment. If Naruto's attackers believed they had succeeded, they would be more likely to gloat or celebrate in some fashion and thus give away their identities. Their ruse had already uncovered Naoki and Harumi as suspects, but there was no guarantee the plot ended with them, and their source still needed to be found. The deception wouldn't last for long, particularly among the ninja of the village, but it would hopefully last long enough.

"If there are no other questions regarding this matter, I will return the floor to Nara-san to continue the meeting." After waiting a few moments for someone else to speak up, Sarutobi returned to his seat and Shikaku resumed the meeting.

The discussion regarding the Kumo delegation went quickly as everyone confirmed that their individual tasks had been completed and everything was prepared for the delegation's arrival tomorrow morning.

Though the treaty was primarily a ninja matter, the civilians would also be included to begin discussions regarding potential trade agreements. If everything went well, Konoha could be looking at a major boost to trade and the taxes that came with it. While the village was well on their way to recovery, funds were still tight and the ninja especially were overworked and underpaid. That the civilian side was not feeling the pinch nearly as badly as the ninja was a cause of some tension over the past three years, though it hadn't moved beyond words yet.

After the meeting adjourned, Shibi Aburame approached the Hokage, his insects still buzzing. The Hokage had expected Shibi to approach him and so lingered to give him the chance.

"Hokage-sama," Shibi began, his voice low. "Is it true that Naruto has been assassinated?"

Sarutobi chuckled lowly. As he had thought, Shibi had worked out the supposed identity of the victim. "Let's just say that reports of his demise may have been exaggerated."

The buzzing noise slowly tapered off as Shibi relaxed. "I... see. That is good to hear." Shibi paused, then steeled himself and continued to speak. "Though it pains me to even think it, I acknowledge the possibility that someone in my clan leaked the information regarding Naruto's identity. I am prepared to cooperate in any way you deem necessary." He bowed stiffly, awaiting the Hokage's judgment. His clan's honor was very important to Shibi, and he would not rest until his clan was cleared of any wrongdoing... or the guilty party punished. He sincerely hoped the former proved to be the case.

The Hokage nodded solemnly, understanding just how important this was to the Aburame clan leader. "I appreciate your cooperation in this matter, Shibi-san. Please meet with Shikaku to coordinate your efforts." After Shibi acknowledged the command with another stiff bow, the Hokage laid a friendly hand on Shibi's shoulder. "I would rest easy, however. We already have another lead, and it does not point in the direction of your clan at this time. I hope for both our sakes that remains the case."

* * *

-9:45 AM-

-Outside the Hokage's Tower-

Fugaku Uchiha's expression was stoic and proud, as it should be. He strove to maintain a dignified visage whenever he was in public, and usually even when he was among his clan. Only in his own home did he truly relax. To him, that was how a ninja should behave.

His expression was stoic, but inside he was panicking. Those damned fools! He didn't supply them with Naruto's identity so they could hire a god-damned assassin! If he'd known they would try something that stupid, he would never have approached them in the first place. No amount of influence with the civilians in Konoha was worth bringing Sarutobi's wrath down on his head.

He still couldn't believe Naoki was willing to go so far as to kill Naruto himself just to spite the ninja of the village. Fugaku knew that Naoki didn't really believe that Naruto was a serious threat anymore: years of proof that the seal was functioning perfectly had taken the wind out of his sails, and he no longer called for "the vessel's destruction", even in their private meetings.

That change of heart was part of the reason Fugaku had been willing to reveal Naruto's identity in the first place. He expected Naoki to use the information to his advantage politically, publicly backing Naruto when he joined the ninja force and trying to form connections with a ninja practically guaranteed to be important and powerful. It galled him to know that he had misread Naoki's intentions this badly.

After seeing them smile – Kami, the idiots actually fucking _smiled – _he knew it would only be a matter of time until ANBU were dispatched to take them into custody. After that, it was a matter of hours before they spilled everything they knew, one way or another, and ANBU would be coming for him next. He needed to regain control of this situation, and fast.

He smiled slightly and nodded his head in response to the greetings he received as he walked down the street towards the Uchiha Compound. As the Chief of the Konoha Police, he was one of the most recognized ninja in the village, second only to the Hokage himself. He made sure to maintain a highly visible presence among the civilians, and his efforts had paid off.

Among civilians, he was probably even more popular than the Hokage himself, and he did everything in his power to make sure that his popularity continued to grow. It would make things so much easier if, when Sarutobi finally died – though even Fugaku didn't wish that to happen too quickly – there was only one true option for his successor. Securing the unanimous support of the civilian side of the council would make sure Fugaku himself was that option.

Fugaku, as the Chief of Police, was intimately familiar with every law in Konoha, including those for the Council. While the Council was intended to be mostly an advisory body, they did have certain specific duties and powers, most of which had been codified before the civilians had been allowed seats on the Council. Once the village grew beyond the capacity of the ninja forces to run by themselves, the ten seats for the elected civilian representatives had been added. Fortunately for Fugaku, no one had thought to amend the laws concerning the Council's powers in the wake of this addition.

The first and most commonly exercised power of the Council was their review of any laws. The Hokage had a great deal of power, as he should, but if two-thirds of the Council voted against a law, then the law would not be implemented. Similarly, the Hokage could call for a review of an existing law and if two-thirds of the Council found it to be unreasonable, it could be revoked or amended at the Hokage's discretion. Even the Hokage did not have the power to contradict existing law by himself, a measure the First Hokage had insisted on. The Council itself could neither propose nor review existing laws on its own, and until the aftermath of the tailed beast's attack the Council had never voted against the Hokage.

The second power came into play far more rarely; in the absence of the Hokage, such as when the Hokage dies or is otherwise incapacitated, the Council as a whole is tasked with appointing an interim Hokage and selecting the next Hokage. Always before the Hokage had publicly chosen a successor, so the Council had served a mostly ceremonial function. Sarutobi had yet to select another successor, and every day that passed increased the odds that he would pass away before doing so.

Should that happen, a vote would be called to determine the next Hokage. As Fugaku would be nominated and thus ineligible to vote, there would be twenty-one votes - ten civilian, nine ninja, the ANBU Commander, and the Jounin Commander. Fugaku still found it ironic that Shikaku Nara would be allowed two votes, as he was both a clan head with a seat on the Council and the Jounin Commander. With the ten civilian votes secured, Fugaku would only need two more votes to achieve the majority required, and he believed he was well on his way to securing those as well.

After the loss of the Kiyomizu and Murakami clans in the tailed beast's attack, two ninja seats on the Council were left vacant. It had taken nearly a month for the situation within Konoha to stabilize enough for the Council to turn its attention to filling those seats, and in that time another seat had been left vacant - the Senju.

_That _had been a mess of the highest order, and Fugaku was still uncertain what exactly transpired to cause Tsunade to leave. The result was very clear, however; Tsunade Senju had left Konoha and become a missing ninja in all but name. That she was not listed in the Bingo Book with a bounty and that Konoha had dispatched no hunter-nin to capture or eliminate her he attributed to some lingering affection on Sarutobi's part. After she abandoned Konoha in the village's hour of greatest need, no one on the Council was willing to defend her. If any still held some personal attachment to her, they kept it to themselves.

When the vote to revoke the Senju seat came up, all the arguments centered on the contributions of the previous Senju, two of whom had served as Konoha's First and Second Hokages; not one person so much as spoke Tsunade's name during the meeting. Fugaku still felt a small glow of victory as he remembered casting his vote to revoke the Senju seat. Not only had the vote been popular with the civilians on the council who resented Tsunade's attempted attack on Naoki Taniguchi, but the Senju and Uchiha had been the two clans who first founded Konoha; now only the Uchiha remained.

Unfortunately, there were no other clans within Konoha that met the population and service requirements to gain a permanent seat on the council - the Kurama were the closest, but fell short of the active shinobi requirement by three members. The law was very clear about this circumstance, and Fugaku made sure he was the one who informed the Council of the required actions.

A vote would be held among the remaining Council members and an active ninja in good standing would be selected to fill the seat for a period of five years. Said ninja must be unaffiliated with any existing seat by blood, adoption, or marriage, and must remain so during his term.

If the ninja occupying the seat became ineligible for any reason and less than two years remained in the term, the Hokage would appoint a ninja to hold the seat; otherwise, a vote would be held to fill the seat for the remainder of the term. At the end of the five year term, another survey for suitable clans would be performed and either a clan appointed to a permanent seat or a vote held for another five year term.

Fugaku had taken great relish in pointing out that _all _Council members voted on this matter, not just the ninja. The other ninja had objected loudly, but once the laws were reviewed they had to concede that Fugaku was correct; there was no provision stating that civilians could not vote in such matters. With ten civilian and twelve ninja votes at the time, there was also no possibility that the Council could achieve the two-thirds majority required to amend the law.

When the first vote occurred Fugaku did not have enough influence with the civilian side of the council to convince them to select candidates favorable to him, and he didn't push too hard lest his fellow ninja councilors become suspicious of him. But the first term was ending soon, and now? Now, he did. Five years was a long time, and Sarutobi was already old. Even if the Hokage survived the next five years, Fugaku had every intention of making sure that the next set of temporary councilors were favorable to him as well. He would continue for as long as it took.

Fugaku shook himself out of his musings as he arrived home. Right now, he had a problem to deal with. He prepared to summon two of his most loyal clansmen, two who didn't mind getting their hands dirty for the betterment of the clan and the village.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm... not a whole lot to say on this one. This chapter serves to set up events that will inform the rest of the story and the next two arcs in particular. At the current pace you can expect events to hit the beginning of canon in ten chapters or so.**

**Yes, from this chapter you can probably guess what those next two arcs will be, though I think I've changed them up considerably from canon. Whether the changes are for the better or worse – either in-story or in terms of reading enjoyment – remains to be seen.**

**I'll be posting the next chapter later today, and two more chapters tomorrow. I just finished writing chapter 13 yesterday, so I've still got plenty of buffer.**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 - typos, grammar, minor changes**

**Revised: 01/16/2011 - removed mention of Naruto's last name being Uzumaki prior to his adoption, thereby closing a minor plot hole.  
**


	6. Getting To Know You

-April 20th, 338 NE-

-6:15 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Why is it, Dragon," the Hokage growled softly, "that I find myself questioning the competence of my ANBU forces for the second time this week? Please, enlighten me."

The Hokage and Dragon were currently alone, even the standard squad that stood guard over the Hokage at all times dismissed for this particular meeting. Dragon was folded in half in a stiff bow, and had remained so since the Hokage first entered the room. The ANBU Commander didn't dare face the Hokage at the moment, and so continued to stare at the floor, sweat dripping onto the mask that covered the ninja's face.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dragon said stiffly. "It was determined that the arrest of Councilors Naoki Taniguchi and Harumi Kondo should be done quietly. We also wanted them to panic and possibly expose other conspirators or vital information. I had one ANBU squad waiting at each of their residences to arrest them once they arrived home for the evening. We also took the opportunity to search through their records for any evidence of treason or other crimes. Unfortunately, the councilors never arrived home. Both Taniguchi and Kondo tripped while walking down a set of stairs and broke their necks, although they fell in different locations."

The Hokage rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep his temper in check. "It beggars belief that both of them would just happen to _accidentally die _just before they were arrested for treason. Did you not have ANBU squads following them?"

"I did, Hokage-sama."

"And?"

"Neither squad reported anything unusual. However, our intelligence analysts have been going over the records we retrieved from their homes, and they have found an interesting pattern. Both Taniguchi and Kondo have been meeting with the Chief of Police on a regular basis, and often at the same time. I questioned the squads who were following them again, and both reported that Taniguchi and Kondo were approached briefly by a police patrol after they left the Council meeting. The patrol consisted of two ninja, both Uchiha."

"Uchiha...," the Hokage said slowly, as if tasting the word. "Has an autopsy been performed yet? Were there any traces of genjutsu?"

"The traces were faint but they were present, Hokage-sama," Dragon replied.

The Hokage was silent for several minutes as his mind churned, the pieces falling into place and painting an ugly picture. Fugaku's ambitions were well known among ninja and civilian alike, and the popularity of the Uchiha clan in general and Fugaku in particular had risen to new levels in the wake of the tailed beast's attack.

Not for the first time the Hokage cursed Madara Uchiha. Fugaku's grandfather had been an incredible ninja, nearly as powerful as the First Hokage himself, but it was his cunning and foresight that had proved the most troublesome. Madara had insisted that the Uchiha be given sole control of the internal police within Konoha as a condition for joining the village. At the time it had seemed like a meaningless concession to a man desperate for any sort of official recognition in the wake of his failure to gain the title of Hokage. The brilliance of the move had slowly revealed itself over the years and it seemed to be reaching fruition now, long after Madara himself had passed away.

By maintaining control of the police force, the Uchiha were able to keep their weaker ninja within the walls of the village where they would be safe and gainfully employed while still registered as active ninja in good standing. While the Senju would send their ninja out into the field to die, the Uchiha would remain home, safe and sound, steadily growing their clan's numbers.

The results were plain to see. The Senju, initially more powerful and numerous than the Uchiha, had been whittled down to a single female member who was nearly past child-bearing age and showed absolutely no interest in continuing her clan after the death of her lover. Meanwhile, the Uchiha had grown to become the most populous and powerful clan in the village. Only the Hyuuga could claim to rival the Uchiha's numbers of active ninja, and that only due to a quirk of fate which allowed the Hyuuga's bloodline limit to manifest in every member without fail while the Uchiha bloodline activated in only a third of the clan's members.

Fugaku had taken this advantage even further by actively currying favor with the civilian populace. The civilian's were already inclined to trust the Uchiha as a matter of course, since the Uchiha were highly visible as the core of Konoha's police force. While other ninja were fighting and dying outside Konoha's walls to protect and strengthen the village, the Uchiha would parade in front of the civilians and occasionally break up drunken brawls or arrest a thief. Despite this disparity, the average civilian, if asked to name all the ninja they knew, would likely come up with two names - Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku Uchiha. Even the Legendary Sannin, Sarutobi's former students, were likely to be forgotten or overlooked, especially since none of them had been seen in the village in years, if for very different reasons.

Now, less than a century after the village's founding, the Uchiha were poised to take control of the entire village and never let go. Sarutobi was willing to admit to himself that, taken solely on his own merits, Fugaku could probably handle the mantle of Hokage well enough, even if he lacked a true Will of Fire. After Minato's death, Sarutobi despaired of ever finding another ninja who could be a true successor. In his weaker moments, he even contemplated just turning the whole wretched mess over to Fugaku now and stepping back to watch the man deal with the headaches that came with the title he was so desperate to achieve. However, his own Will of Fire had not weakened so much that he was willing to just abandon his post to a lesser man. He had many years left in him, plenty of time to find a more suitable candidate, or groom one from among the veteran ninja.

And that was the crux of the matter, really. Fugaku, for all his skill and political acumen, was not now and would never be an acceptable candidate in Sarutobi's eyes because once Fugaku became Hokage he would never let the title pass outside of the Uchiha clan. He would make sure his older son Itachi was groomed for the position, and he would fully expect Itachi to do the same for his children. Sarutobi would readily admit that Itachi had already proven himself a genius, graduating the Academy at the age of eight after only one year, four years before most students could even hope to. Only two ninja had accomplished this feat prior to Itachi: Kakashi Hatake and Minato Namikaze, both of whom had gone on to become S-Rank ninja before they reached the age of twenty.

There was another more serious problem, one that Fugaku, and indeed Madara, had likely overlooked or ignored – the perception the other ninja in the village had of the clan. Even if Itachi proved even more capable than Fugaku, that would not change the fact that the other ninja would not accept the beginning of an Uchiha dynasty within Konoha. Since so many of the clan took permanent posts within the walls of Konoha they had alienated their fellow ninja who had no choice but to take risky missions outside the safety of Konoha. Beyond the police force, which many ninja considered a joke, there were very few postings that did not require at least some experience in the field, and all of those were limited to the intelligence divisions.

No ninja who had ever met a Nara would dare underestimate the power of solid intelligence and good planning, and many owed their lives to insights and secrets uncovered by the intelligence division. Conversely, no ninja who had ever met a member of the "permanent police" would dare allow themselves to become that weak and arrogant, and many refused to even acknowledge them as active ninja.

The last problem with the Uchiha was their bloodline limit. Even with two-thirds of the clan never activating it, the clan as a whole was inordinately proud of the sharingan, the so-called Copy Wheel Eye. Once awakened, the sharingan increased the effectiveness of an Uchiha ninja many times over, and that was without considering its more advanced uses and abilities. Even at its most basic level, the sharingan increased the the observational abilities of a ninja tenfold, allowing the user to pick up on subtle details and clues that they would miss otherwise. As the sharingan matured, the user could track fast-moving objects with ease and even "predict" an opponents actions based on the subtle tensing and shifting of their bodies. When fully matured, the user could actually copy any techniques they observed perfectly and reproduce them on command at any point thereafter. The average ninja would be willing to give nearly anything to obtain even one of those abilities, and the Uchiha got all of those abilities and more for simply being born.

What concerned Sarutobi at the moment however was the last ability of the sharingan - its ability to detect and even cast genjutsu, or illusion techniques. A skilled user could implant subtle genjutsu merely be making eye contact, and the technique would be nearly imperceptible to both the target and anyone observing. With the revelation of Fugaku's close involvement with the two councilors and their all-too-convenient deaths, it appeared genjutsu had been used to cause the "accidental" demise of the two councilors. And, of course, it would be absolutely impossible to prove that the Uchiha had anything to do with it. Chakra signatures were fragile things to begin with, and it was nearly impossible to trace a genjutsu signature back to the caster at the best of times. Hours after the fact and with the death of the subject, it would be impossible.

Of course, just because he couldn't prove it now didn't mean he couldn't put this information to good use.

"Dragon, I want the Uchiha in general and Fugaku in particular under observation at all times. If he meets with someone, I want to know who, why, and for how long. If he sends a message, I want a copy on my desk before he's done writing. If he so much as sneezes, I want to know about it before he's done wiping his nose. Understood?" The Hokage's voice was calm and even, but the force behind his words was unmistakable.

Dragon knew better than to protest the difficulty of keeping a ninja of Fugaku's caliber under such close watch.

"Oh, and Dragon? I think all of ANBU needs a little refresher course to keep them on their toes. Work out the schedule with Gai, but I want all of you, and that includes you, to undergo an _intense _training session. I have to allow my ANBU the chance to keep their skills sharp, now don't I?"

Dragon gulped, paling at the prospect of one of Gai's infamous training sessions. Hawk and Cat had already begun their "training" and at the end of every day they were a quivering pile of bruises and pain, nearly crying at the prospect of waking up the next day to begin again.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dragon said.

* * *

-April 21st, 338 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Konoha's Northern Gates-

Shikaku Nara hated getting up early. He hated getting up at all in fact, finding mornings in general too troublesome to deal with, but his wife made sure that he would regret it if he was not out of bed by a time she deemed acceptable. He attributed her insistence that noon was not acceptable to the general insanity of the female condition.

She had not been amused when he shared that particular insight.

He let a small smile play across his lightly scarred face as he recalled the argument that had caused, or more specifically the mutually satisfying resolution to that argument. Most people didn't understand why someone so intelligent would say such stupid things where his wife could hear. Most people also didn't understand just how enjoyable the bit that came after the arguing was. He was pretty sure Yoshino knew that he started those arguments on purpose, but she certainly wasn't complaining either.

He shook his head and returned his attention to the procession that was slowly approaching the large, open gates that led into Konoha. As the Jounin Commander, he was deemed the most suitable representative to greet the Kumo delegation when they arrived. Having the Hokage greet them personally when the Raikage was not part of the delegation would be seen as weak on Konoha's part, but as Kumo's Jounin Commander was part of the delegation anything less than his counterpart would be an insult.

Shikaku wondered again why he had agreed to accept the role of Jounin Commander when Kensuke stepped down from the position; he knew that it was largely a thankless job that involved lots of stress and paperwork and very little benefit. Oh, right. He was the best candidate, and knew just how important a skilled Jounin Commander was to the continued safety of Konoha. And Yoshino threatened to make him sleep on the couch if he turned down the offer. Troublesome...

He straightened from his customary slouch as the delegation finally reached the gates, his eyes sharp as he studied the group. He quickly noted that every single one of the ten members of the delegation were ninja, and he suspected given their age, the way they moved, and their general demeanor that each was at least an A-rank threat. It seemed Kumo was taking this opportunity to show off a bit, subtly highlighting the fact that they had that many powerful ninja to waste on a diplomatic mission that required no particular skill.

Even as he settled on that as the most likely scenario, his mind was sorting and ranking several other scenarios which called for the skills and power of ten veteran ninja, the potential assassination of the Hokage foremost among them in risk, if not in likelihood. Kumo and Konoha had been on opposite sides in the Third Shinobi War, but their clashes were infrequent and the losses between the villages light. Light enough that peaceful relations had resumed less than a year after the end of the war, a stark contrast to the outright hatred Iwa still held for Konoha. Those peaceful relations had led to the possibility of an actual alliance between the two villages and the purpose of the delegation's visit this week.

Konoha's Jounin Commander stepped forward to meet the leader of the Kumo delegation, a tall, thickly muscled man by the name of Katsuo Maruyama. Maruyama wore Kumo's standard jounin outfit: a dark blue flak vest, a mesh undershirt with no sleeves, black pants fashioned of a warm, thick material - the exact composition of which was a closely held secret - and black combat boots. A large sword was strapped to his back, and various pouches filled with gear festooned his body. His arms were covered in scars, to the extent that he had less unmarked flesh that he did scar tissue. His face was unmarked however, and his thick jaw and brown eyes were currently set in a carefully neutral expression.

Shikaku looked much smaller and ill-equipped in comparison. He wore Konoha's version of the standard jounin outfit - the flak vest was a dark green, the mesh shirt had sleeves that stopped halfway down his biceps, the boots were replaced by sandals, and the pants were thinner and fashioned of a different material, but the outfit was otherwise identical. He only had three pouches on his person and no visible weapons, and he stood a full head shorter than his counterpart. His frame also lacked the bulging muscles of the Kumo ninja. The overall effect made Shikaku seem like a child compared to the Kumo ninja, which he figured was the entire purpose. He hated posturing, it was too troublesome to deal with. Fortunately, it was also too troublesome to act intimidated when he was already close enough to immobilize the entire delegation before they had a chance to respond.

"Greetings. I am Shikaku Nara, Jounin Commander. On behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, I welcome you to the village and bid you a peaceful and productive stay," Shikaku intoned formally.

Katsuo stared at him for a long moment, looking for something and appearing slightly disappointed when he didn't find it. "Nara, the shadow-wielding clan," he said finally. His eyes flicked downward, taking in their location. Due to the position of the sun, the entire delegation was bathed in the shadow of the tall gates. Katsuo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he gave no other reaction. The other members of the delegation shifted uncertainly as they heard Katsuo's words and also noted their location. "We have heard many tales of your exploits in Kumo."

Of that Shikaku had no doubt. Kumo technically had the largest force of active ninja in the Elemental Nations, but were only considered the third-most powerful of the Five Great Villages. Their relative weakness, so Kumo believed, was due to the very small numbers of bloodline users in their village. Kirigakure no Sato actually had the most registered bloodline limits of any village, but most of their bloodlines were of limited utility. They still managed to maintain a reputation as the second strongest village based on the prowess of the Kaguya and Yuki clans, along with their infamous Seven Swordsmen. Konoha itself was acknowledged by all as the strongest village and it was due in part to the power and versatility of their bloodline users, exemplified by the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans.

Kumo made no attempt to hide their interest in recruiting bloodline users, although so far they had failed to find any new bloodlines or lure a clan away from another village. Shikaku had no doubt that their interest in Konoha stemmed from their interest in Konoha's bloodlines and that Kumo hoped to lure a clan, or at least a clan member, away from the village in some fashion. However, their previous attempts had been relatively benign and Kumo in general had a reputation for straightforward and honest dealings, so the Intelligence Division rated the likelihood of a forceful attempt to be low. Looking at the assembled Kumo ninja before him, however, Shikaku shifted the odds of that approach a little higher, if still unlikely.

"I too have heard of you, Maruyama-san. They say you once killed three ninja with a single swing of your sword," Shikaku replied, allowing a bit of his usual lazy tone to leak into his voice.

Maruyama grinned widely, revealing shiny white teeth. "It was four," he said. He appeared to be completely serious.

Shikaku nodded slightly, accepting the correction without comment. He knew it really was four, a Konoha informant had actually witnessed the event. Now he also knew Maruyama was a braggart, and was willing to give away information in order to maintain or enhance his own reputation. Useful information to have, and he would put it to good use in the coming negotiations.

"If you will follow me, I will escort you to your hotel. We have reserved the entire third floor of the Floating Leaf for your use during your stay, and I hope you will find it to your liking. Once you have settled in, I will escort you to the Hokage's Tower for the first meeting at noon."

Maruyama nodded sharply. "Very well. Lead the way, Nara-san."

* * *

-April 23rd-

-2:15 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"Come on, Naruto. I promised Shika and Chouji I would introduce them to my new little brother. We can go visit them and be back before anyone even knows we're gone!" Ino whined, pulling softly at Naruto's arm. Naruto steadfastly refused to move.

"Yamanaka-san was very clear that I was not to leave the premises for any reason until told otherwise. I believe he was worried that I would be recognized," Naruto said evenly.

Ino sighed. She was very happy she had a little brother now but she had already noted that he had a disturbing tendency to follow the rules. She frowned slightly, recalling her conversation with her father the first evening after Naruto had come to live with their family.

_"Tou-chan?" Ino asked softly. She was technically supposed to be in bed right now, but she couldn't sleep while this question burned in her head. "Naruto-kun doesn't look like he was hurt. After I broke my arm, I had to wear that arm-thing for forever. Why doesn't he have one of those?"_

_Her father sighed, but sat up in his chair and motioned for her to come closer. When she was close enough, he picked her up and plopped her down in his lap. "Well sweetie, they are many different kinds of hurts. Sometimes the hurts are easy to fix, like your arm, even if it's not fun while that happens. Other hurts you can't see, but they can be just as bad or worse, and can take a long long time to fix. Naruto has one of those kinds of hurts. It's on the inside, and it's going to take Daddy a very long time to help him."_

_"Oh," Ino said quietly. "How is he hurt?"_

_He didn't answer for several seconds, and she was afraid she had asked a bad question somehow. Before she could say anything, however, he finally replied. "He... he believes that he has to act like an adult, all the time. He doesn't think he's allowed to have fun, or act like a child, or even just relax. Part of how I'm going to help him is to let him know it's alright just to be a kid. I'm hoping you can help me with that. He could really use a friend, and I know you would be a wonderful friend. And an even better older sister, of course," he chuckled._

_Ino didn't fully understand the explanation, but she got the important parts. Have fun, help him act like a kid, be an older sister. She could do that. She could definitely do that._

Well, here was a perfect opportunity to show her little brother how to have fun. Besides, little brothers were supposed to listen to their older sisters, so really she was fixing two problems at once.

"Tsk tsk, little brother. You should know better than to question your older sister. Kids are expected to break the rules sometimes, it's practically a rule of its own!" Deciding to ignore the irony of her previous statement, she moved on quickly. "And besides, if being recognized is the problem, you just have to wear a disguise!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "I have the perfect one in mind!"

"I'm not wearing a dress," Naruto said immediately.

Ino waved her hand airily. "It didn't even look good on you. Your hair isn't long enough yet."

"Yet?" Naruto asked, his tone faintly incredulous.

"Anyway, that's not what I had in mind. I've got a much better idea than that!"

* * *

-3:30 PM-

-Nara Compound-

Shikamaru Nara was lying on his back, staring up at the sky as the clouds passed overhead. The familiar crunch of a potato chip and the crumple of the bag which contained them let him know that his best friend, Chouji Akimichi, was sitting next to him.

"Rabbit," Shikamaru said lazily.

Another crunch. "Duck." Another crunch.

"Hmm... Table."

Another crunch. A loud rustle as the bag was balled up and tossed aside and a new one opened. "Roast chicken." Another crunch.

"Deer."

Another crunch. "Ino."

"Hmm... a tree- wait, what?" Shikamaru quickly sat up and turned to look at Chouji. Chouji simply pointed off into the distance towards the entrance to the Nara compound.

Shikamaru squinted. Sure enough, he could make out Ino and some other kid walking towards them. Ino was wearing a large sun hat that almost swallowed her entire head. She kept pushing it up out of the way as she stomped towards them, apparently having trouble seeing in front of her as it slid down her face. Behind her trailed another kid, this one wearing a bandanna and sunglasses in what Shikamaru found to be such a blatantly obvious attempt to hide his identity that it was almost subtle. Given that Ino most likely came up with it, however, he settled on just blatantly obvious.

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru muttered, and flopped back down on his back. He had already picked up his father's habit of saying that word, which had led to an argument between his mom and dad where she was actually angry instead of her usual amused angry. Ino didn't seem to appreciate his use of the word too much either, though Chouji didn't mind at all. That was why Chouji was his best friend instead of Ino. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

As Ino continued to make her way towards them Shikamaru began to make out what she was saying.

"... honestly, like I haven't been here loads of times before. And they were laughing! At us!" Ino said.

"Technically, I think they were just laughing at you. They really didn't know who I was," the other kid replied.

"Not! Helping!" Ino yelled.

"Sorry, Nee-chan," the kid said. Shikamaru didn't think he sounded all that sorry, though. He sounded more like he wanted to laugh himself.

So this was the infamous "little brother" Ino had been raving about yesterday. Shikamaru was pretty sure they were both supposed to stay at the Yamanaka residence, although he was not at all surprised to learn that Ino had slipped out.

Ino came to a stop in front of Shikamaru and Chouji, pulling the hat off her head as she stared at them for a long moment. Shikamaru still hadn't moved from his position. He was wearing a light blue shirt and black pants, and his black hair was pulled up into a spiky ponytail that stuck up from the back of his head in an imitation of his father's hairstyle, a style most people referred to as "the pineapple".

Chouji was wearing a green and white jacket with blue pants. His hair stuck up wildly in all directions and he had red swirl marks tattooed on both cheeks. He spared a quick wave to Ino and her companion before he returned to consuming his potato chips, already halfway through the freshly opened bag.

"Honestly, could you two be any lazier? You're supposed to at least stand up when a lady is present, you know!" Ino said.

Chouji looked vaguely guilty, but Shikamaru just snorted. "When one shows up, let me know and I'll think about it."

"Wha- you-" Ino sputtered indignantly. Shikamaru just chuckled to himself, and Chouji bit off another potato chip to cover up his own laugh.

"Anyway, aren't you going to introduce us?" Shikamaru said, finally sitting up again as he looked at Ino's companion.

Ino took a moment to recover, but she quickly brightened. "Right! Shika, Chouji, this is my new little brother, Naruto! Naruto, the lazy one on the ground is Shikamaru Nara, and the one eating chips is Chouji Akimichi."

The newly introduced Naruto pulled off the sunglasses and bandanna and then smiled at the two kids. Shikamaru and Chouji were both surprised to see blond hair and blue eyes, and for a moment they wondered if Naruto really was Ino's brother; blond hair was highly unusual in Konoha, and Naruto's eyes were only a few shades off from Ino's. Shikamaru quickly dismissed that idea, but focused on the name. "Naruto... I've heard that name before. My dad was talking about you. Something about ridiculous test scores..."

Naruto smirked slightly. "I wouldn't say ridiculous...," he said.

Ino had no such problem. "Yep! Totally ridiculous! I bet he's even smarter than you, Shika!"

"Oh? You wouldn't happen to play shogi, would you?" Shikamaru asked. His dad had taught him how to play the game, and while Chouji and Ino had shown no interest Shikamaru still wanted to find someone to play against on a regular basis. His dad was perfectly willing to play, of course, but their relative skill levels were still too far apart for it to be anything other than a teaching exercise.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "I have heard of it, but I've never gotten the chance to play. If you want to show me the rules, I'm willing."

Shikamaru grinned, and hopped to his feet with far more alacrity than most would expect him to be capable of. "Follow me," he said, and moved off towards his house. Chouji pulled himself to his feet and quickly followed. Ino grinned and pulled Naruto along with her. "Come on, it's time someone showed Shikamaru up, and you, little brother, are the perfect one for the job!"

Two hours later Ino was still crowing in delight. "Ha! I told you, I told you, I told you!"

"To be fair, Nee-chan, I only won once...," Naruto said.

Shikamaru just shook his head, still shocked by how quickly Naruto had picked up the game. "And you just started playing. I've been playing with my dad for months now. You're really good." Shikamaru grinned, excitement shining in his eyes. "I can still beat you, though. Again?"

"Oh, I think you've played enough for today, don't you?" a new voice said. Ino paled dramatically and Chouji almost choked on his chip. Shikamaru just shook his head with a muttered "Troublesome..."

Kiku Yamanaka stood tapping her foot impatiently in the door frame. "And just what, little lady, did you think you were doing sneaking out of the house in the middle of the day, hmm? And taking Naruto-kun along with you, no less."

Naruto stepped bravely into the line of fire. "I thought it was a rule that children were expected to break the rules on occasion, Kiku-kaa-san?" Naruto asked.

Ino squeaked when Kiku turned to glare in her direction.

"Not! Helping!"

* * *

**A/N: Here's the second chapter for today.**

**It wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected to write the scenes for the other ninja children. I will be introducing them one or two at a time as the chapters progress, to give a sense of what their relationship with "Naruto" is like and how he has integrated himself into the ninja side of Konoha.**

**I was chatting with one of my friends about the Kumo incident, and we realized that we actually had no idea what the Kumo delegation was actually in Konoha _for._ They were negotiating something, but to our knowledge there wasn't actually a war or anything, and outside of the incident in canon no one ever says a bad word about them. Thus, in this AU they are here to discuss a trade agreement and possible alliance. **

**I've run into a bit of a problem with the Naruto characters, though; namely, there are so few strong female characters in Konoha. Other than Shizune and possibly Tsume Inuzuka, in this story all the prominent females from have either been written off-screen for the moment (Tsunade) or are too old to fit in with the kids but too young to fit in with the adults (Anko) or are stuck in ANBU (Yuugao). Shizune is respected, but mostly as a med-nin and she is kept busy with the hospital and associated duties. There have been several times in future chapters where I was revising and realized "Holy crap, there are no women in this scene, at all." Or written some of the less serious scenes and realized that nearly every adult female in Konoha seems to be a stay-at-home mom, despite the fact that they are supposed to be kunoichi.**

**What the hell?**

**Fortunately the situation isn't nearly as bad by the time Academy Graduation rolls around. Kurenai Yuuhi, Anko Mitarashi, Hana Inuzuka, Yuugao Uzuki, Tenten, Temari... plenty of female characters who can or will be taken as serious threats.**

**Revised: 01/16/2012 - typos, grammar, removed reference to "Uzumaki", adjusted the shogi scene  
**


	7. Getting To Know You, Part II

-April 24th, 338 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Inoichi's office was situated on the ground floor of his home, tucked into a quiet corner. The furniture inside the office emphasized comfort over aesthetic appeal, and the decorations consisted of simple paintings of forest scenes from around Konoha with the occasional knickknack that held some personal significance to Inoichi. His desk was well-worn but also well-cared for, the inevitable nicks and scrapes picked up over the years serving to make it seem homely rather than broken down.

There were three chairs in the room: one placed behind the desk and two placed in front of the desk, currently positioned to face each other. Naruto was already perched on one of those chairs, his feet not quite reaching the floor, when Inoichi closed the door, activated the privacy seals built into the room, and then settled into the chair across from Naruto. He had a few pieces of paper and a pencil prepared to take notes during the session.

"Now Naruto, before we begin I want you to understand that, while these sessions are required, if at any time you feel uncomfortable or don't want to answer a question, we can cut the session short or move to a different topic. These sessions will continue for as long as needed, and I don't want you to feel pressured into anything. Ok?"

Naruto nodded. He had yet to say anything since he first entered the room.

Inoichi let out a slow breath. He sincerely wanted to help Naruto, but he wasn't looking forward to seeing just how deeply Konoha's resident jinchuuriki had been scarred by his time in ANBU HQ. The pieces he was already aware of - the emotional detachment, the complete lack of concern for his own safety, the obsession with proving himself - were bad enough.

"Right then... let's start with something recent, shall we?" Naruto cocked his head a little to the side and looked at him curiously but remained silent. "I understand you and Ino snuck out to the Nara compound yesterday." Inoichi stopped there, curious to see how Naruto would respond to the open-ended statement. He didn't have to wait long.

"I apologize for disobeying your instructions, Yamanaka-san. However, with the... disguise I believed the risk of exposure to be minimal."

Inoichi kept his face calm and pleasantly curious, suppressing his wince. Though expected, it was painful to know that Naruto still viewed the situation as a mission. His continued insistence on calling him Yamanaka-san despite his easy manner with Ino and Kiku showed that Naruto viewed Inoichi as a superior officer rather than a parental figure. These sessions probably weren't going to help that particular issue, either.

"As far as the disguise goes, you are correct. No one recognized you as Naruto, or even paid you and Ino any particular attention. You appeared as simply two children pretending to be ninja." Inoichi reassured him. "However, what made you decide to risk it at all?"

Naruto shifted slightly, a small sign of nervousness or discomfort. Interesting. Inoichi made a note of this reaction; Naruto hadn't appeared nervous at all when apologizing, but the reasons behind his actions made him uncomfortable. Inoichi didn't pressure him, simply waiting for Naruto to answer or ask to move to another topic. At length, Naruto finally replied.

"I was... curious. Ino had mentioned her friends before, and I wanted to meet them," Naruto said.

Inoichi made several more notes. Ino had claimed that she pressured Naruto into it, almost desperate to make sure that no blame fell on her little brother, and now Naruto was subtly implying that he had come up with the idea on his own, transferring the blame to himself. To Inoichi's knowledge, this was the first time Naruto had acted protective of another person. Further, this was also the first time in nearly two years that Naruto had made any effort to reach out and form a connection with another child his own age. While Ino and Naruto were getting along far better than he had dared hope, they now lived together and Naruto did not need to make a special effort to establish or maintain a relationship. The same could not be said for Shikamaru and Chouji.

"And what did you think of them?" Inoichi prompted after he finished writing his notes.

"Chouji was very quiet, but he seemed happy to be there and did not resent my presence. Shikamaru was very skilled in shogi. I look forward to playing against him again." Naruto said. He seemed to be finished speaking, but then hastened to add, "The mental exercise could prove beneficial in the future."

Inoichi's eyebrow raised slightly; Naruto apparently felt the need to justify his interest in shogi. Ino had already told them about the games Naruto and Shikamaru had played, as well as making sure to mention at least fifty times that Naruto had beaten Shikamaru. Inoichi decided to follow up on the shogi games for the moment.

"Is that the only reason that you look forward to playing again?"

Naruto shifted slightly again. "No. It was fun. Challenging."

Inoichi smiled. "That's good to hear. Do you enjoy any other games?"

Naruto's head cocked to the side again. "I don't know."

And there went his smile. "What other games have you played?" A blank look. "Checkers?" Naruto shook his head. "Tag?" Another shake. "Hide and seek?" Another shake. "Card games? Go Fish, Old Maid? Poker?" More shakes.

Inoichi felt a ball of unease settle in his stomach. He knew from the reports that Naruto had not gotten along well with the other kids in the orphanage and that he eventually buried himself in his studies, but he had not realized that Naruto's isolation had been this complete. He fell silent as he contemplated just what effects that could have on a child, and what that would mean for Naruto.

After a minute of silence, Naruto spoke. "Yamanaka-san, I have a question about the interactions I observed between Shikamaru and Ino."

Inoichi pulled himself out of his thoughts, cursing himself for getting distracted while he was with a patient. "Er, yes. What is the question?" He tried to recall if Ino had mentioned anything unusual about her time in the compound, but couldn't come up with anything.

"I noticed that they exchanged what should have been insults on multiple occasions, and that Ino delighted in Shikamaru's defeat when I won. I have observed similar interactions among other children before, but I always assumed that they were enemies or otherwise competing. Ino and Shikamaru seemed very friendly despite these insults. I don't understand," Naruto explained.

Well, here would be one consequence already. Inoichi jotted down a few more notes before he leaned back in his chair. This explanation could take a while.

Kuushou smirked internally as the Yamanaka launched into his explanation of "teasing". The question was half serious and half distraction; he understood much better than he let on what was happening, but this discussion would later branch into other areas of human behavior which he did not understand nearly so well. If he was stuck talking to this human for the foreseeable future, he might as well get something useful out of it. More importantly, focusing on how humans usually behaved would steer the conversation away from his own motivations and allow him to better explain his more questionable actions in the future.

Considering the psychological training he would pull out of Inoichi during these sessions and the connections he was already forming among the most prominent clans in Konoha, joining the Yamanaka family was proving to be the best thing to happen to him since he was sealed. Now he just needed to prepare for his med-nin training with Shizune.

For now, there was much to learn from Konoha. Once his strength had grown to acceptable levels and he had acquired all the knowledge and skills he cared to... well, that would be an interesting day.

* * *

-April 24th-

-1:30 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was sitting in the living room helping her mother sort through the laundry. Despite the peaceful surroundings and pleasant day, she was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. Her parents had not been happy at all that she had taken Naruto outside, despite the perfectly good disguises they had used. They had made it clear that Naruto could have been in a lot of danger, though they avoided specifying why exactly. It had taken them a while, but they had finally impressed on Ino that she could have gotten Naruto hurt again and Ino had taken the revelation to heart.

That didn't stop her from thinking about how to help Naruto, however. Naruto had only been with them for five days but as far as Ino was concerned he was a permanent part of the family. She had also had a lot more fun than usual hanging out with Shikamaru and Chouji when Naruto was with her. Despite their friendship Shikamaru and Chouji were a lot closer to each other than either was to her, even beyond the obvious boy-girl differences. Naruto's presence evened the playing field. Even when he was playing shogi with Shikamaru he still paid attention to her. It was nice to be included like that.

She had also noticed that Naruto had enjoyed meeting Shikamaru and Chouji. He certainly didn't act sad or anything when it was just the two of them, but when the four of them were playing around Naruto was more... something. She couldn't quite describe it, but she thought the difference was what her parents meant when they said "better". Even when they got back home and both of them were in trouble, Naruto hadn't said one bad thing to her, and she had been afraid he would angry or upset with her. In fact, he had even thanked her!

Ino was certain that if she introduced Naruto to the other kids she knew, he would have more friends and get even better. But since he couldn't leave, that really left only one option.

"Kaa-chan?" Ino asked timidly.

Kiku set aside the shirt she was folding and turned to face her daughter. "Yes, Ino-chan?"

"Do you think I could invite all my friends over for a sleepover?"

Kiku frowned. "Now Ino-chan, you know that you are being punished for sneaking out of the house yesterday. This is hardly the best time for you to have a party."

"But Kaa-chan, it's not for me, it's for Naruto." When her mother didn't immediately reply, she rushed to explain her reasoning. "You and Tou-chan both said that Naruto didn't have any friends before and he had a lot of fun yesterday and Shika and Chouji both liked him and I know my other friends will too and he'll like them and then he'll have more friends and-"

"Ino-chan, calm down," Kiku interrupted her.

"But Kaa-chan!" Ino pouted.

"I understand Ino-chan, and I'm very proud that you are thinking of ways to help Naruto. I'm also happy that you decided to talk with me before doing anything this time." Ino blushed, but didn't say anything. "I'm not saying yes, but I will talk it over with your father and see what he thinks."

Ino's smile lit the room, and she jumped over to hug her mother. "Thanks Kaa-chan!"

* * *

-April 26th-

-11:45 AM-

-Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

As the current session of the negotiations between Konoha and Kumo broke for lunch and the various councilors began to stream out of the room, Inoichi called out to Hiashi Hyuuga.

Hiashi paused and turned, his pale eyes watching Inoichi approach curiously. Hiashi was a tall man, his form thin and well-muscled. His immaculately groomed black hair hung halfway down his back, gathered into a loose ponytail. He was currently wearing the traditional attire of the Hyuuga clan, which consisted of thin layered robes of various shades of ivory and white. His headband hung around his neck, barely visible beneath his robes, leaving his unmarked forehead bare.

"Yes, Yamanaka-san? Can I help you?" Hiashi asked coolly, his posture stiff and his tone polite, as it always was in public. Some people found this typical Hyuuga attitude elitist or insulting, but Inoichi knew that the demeanor was at least partially a front. When Hiashi was among friends he acted considerably more open and relaxed.

"My daughter is throwing a sleepover party with her friends, and she wanted to invite Hinata-chan and Neji-kun. The event is planned for two days from now, starting that afternoon," Inoichi explained.

Hiashi nodded thoughtfully. "I assume the Nara and Akimichi children will be there as well?"

Inoichi nodded, pleased that Hiashi was at least considering it. In his opinion the Hyuuga children didn't spend enough time with children outside the clan, and this event would be good for them. "Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame have also agreed to attend. I am also planning to invite Sasuke Uchiha, but I wanted to ask you first."

Hiashi smirked slightly. If Sasuke was next, then that also meant the Uchiha were being asked last. Inoichi knew him quite well, apparently. Hiashi didn't mind being asked second to last, since their families were not nearly as close as the others, but to be asked after the Uchiha would have been insulting. That aside, this party represented a gathering of every clan with a seat on the Konoha Council. Hinata and Neji would likely be working with these children for the rest of their lives, and it would be a good opportunity to form bonds with their future comrades.

Hiashi did not immediately agree, however. That simply wasn't the Hyuuga way. "I assume this event is prompted by your new... guest?"

"It was Ino's idea, actually, but yes, you are correct."

"Hmm... I will need to think it over further, but for Hinata at least consider the invitation tentatively accepted. I will of course forward Neji's invitation to Hizashi."

Inoichi knew that "think it over further" was code that meant Hiashi would talk the idea over with his wife Hisana, but didn't comment. He knew how that was, after all.

"That's great, and thank you! I look forward to seeing them," Inoichi replied.

If Inoichi and Hiashi had been paying more attention, they would not have casually dismissed the Kumo ninja lingering outside the doors to the Council Room, talking with a civilian councilor. They would have also noticed how his ears perked up at the mention of the name Hinata, and the calculating gleam that entered his eye as the conversation continued.

* * *

-April 28th-

-2:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Kiku opened the door to find two members of the Aburame clan standing before her. Both were wearing the high-collared gray jackets and sunglasses typical of the clan, although the effect was less mysterious and intimidating on the four year old. There it just looked adorable.

"Hello Shibi-san, Shino-kun, I'm glad you could make it. Shikamaru and Chouji have already arrived, and they are playing out back if you want to join them Shino-kun," Kiku said cheerfully. Shino nodded, falling short of the intended imitation of his father's manner and landing solidly in "cute" territory as far as Kiku was concerned. She smiled and watched him make his way through the house towards the back, then turned to Shibi.

"I really am glad you could make it. Do you want to come in?"

Shibi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Kiku led him to the living room where Shikaku, Chouza, and Inoichi were chatting away, reliving some tale from their days as genin teammates. They all stood and welcomed Shibi cheerfully, bringing him up to speed on the current tale.

"So Ichi here got the bright idea that he would scale up the side of the building and try to use his mind transfer technique through the window. Mind you, the target was a civilian, but they were also hosting a party and the place was pretty crowded. He had just learned the technique and had been itching for an excuse to use it for weeks, and by Kami he had decided that now was his chance," Chouza said, barely keeping control of his laughter.

Shikaku had no such problem and was already chuckling to himself. Inoichi had his head in his hands and was groaning, already dreading the rest of the story. Kiku rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, but her other hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders shook suspiciously every now and then. Shibi himself had never heard this particular story, and was most curious as to where it was going.

"So Shika and I are keeping a look out for him while he takes aim. He takes a good two minutes lining up his shot, and when he _finally _uses it, he immediately falls off the building. This much we expected, and we catch him and hightail it out of there, moving back to our own hotel room to wait for him to finish the job. About halfway there we realize something went wrong when he starts sucking his thumb."

Shibi raises an eyebrow and his insects start a low rhythmic humming that the others recognize as the Aburame version of a laugh. Inoichi just groans, knowing the story only gets worse from there.

"So, so we make it back to the hotel room, but Inoichi hasn't returned to his body yet. We figure that maybe he found a way to finish the mission anyway, and are ready to applaud his resourcefulness in the face of-" Chouza breaks off for a moment to get his laughter under control. "-in the face of adversity," he barely manages to choke out. "But when he finally gets back an hour later, he's got a stupid grin on his face and no information on the target at all. Naturally we don't let it rest at that."

Shikaku takes over the story at this point, a sly grin on his face. Inoichi's head snaps up in panic as he realizes his wife hasn't heard the _whole _story prior to this, and that Shikaku doesn't intend to give the edited version this time. "It turns out that he'd managed to miss his target and hit a baby instead. As if that weren't bad enough, it seems it was time for the baby to be fed, and he spent the entire hour breastfeeding!"

Inoichi winced as Kiku's comforting hand on his shoulder suddenly turned into a death grip. "Honey...?" she growled.

Inoichi sent a death glare at Shikaku and Chouza who seemed to be enjoying his discomfort immensely, then turned to face his wife with a pleading expression. "In my defense, I was thirteen at the time. And I fully intended to turn the situation to my advantage-"

"He certainly did!" Chouza choked out, before collapsing into laughter once again.

"-to _gather information_," Inoichi said firmly, "but the woman just put me in a crib and left. At that point I returned to my own body."

Kiku did not seem at all swayed by this explanation, and if anything her hand tightened even further. Before she could say anything however another knock sounded at the door. "We _will _be talking about this later," she said as she left the room.

This time when she opened the door she found two children waiting for her. The taller of the pair was a little shy of five feet tall and could possibly pass for a twelve or thirteen year old, though she knew he was only nine. His black hair was long and bundled into a thin ponytail that hung past his shoulders. He wore a black shirt and black pants along with ninja sandals, and covered it all with a black cloak. A ninja headband was worn around his head, the metal plate brightly polished and shining in the afternoon sun. He wore no visible weapons, but Kiku knew better than to believe any ninja, even one as young as this, was ever completely unarmed. The boy's onyx eyes stared into hers steadily, and Kiku found herself grateful for the excuse to look away as she turned to the other child.

This boy was considerably shorter and wore a blue shirt and black shorts. His hair was cut short and slightly spiky, though it seemed he was trying to grow it longer in the back. His eyes, as black as his brother's and the rest of his clans', were alight with curiosity as he turned his head this way and that, taking in the new surroundings with a childish delight. Where his brother was cold and aloof, this child was open and bright - a very interesting contrast, Kiku thought.

"Hello Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun," Kiku said. Most people would feel strange addressing a nine year old so formally, but with Itachi it felt stranger to address him any other way.

"Greetings, Yamanaka-san. I have come to drop Sasuke off for the sleepover. I myself will not be staying long, but I would like the chance to visit, if that is acceptable," Itachi said.

"Of course, come right in. Some of the other children have already arrived and are playing in the back."

Itachi nodded and stepped into the house, Sasuke's hand gripping Itachi's cloak tightly as he followed.

Itachi paused outside of the living room, observing the clan heads gathered in the room. Their laughter slowly died off as they noticed Itachi watching them. The silence stretched for a few seconds before Inoichi called out a greeting, quickly echoed by Shikaku and Chouza. Shibi nodded politely. Itachi returned the nod and bowed slightly before he turned and continued towards the back of the house.

"That kid always creeps me out," Chouza said quietly.

* * *

Itachi opened the door that lead to the backyard to find the kids apparently caught up in a game of ninja tag. Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akimichi were red-faced and laughing as they dodged Shikamaru Nara's attempts to catch them. Shino Aburame was currently circling around them as he kept an eye on Shikamaru. Itachi noticed a fifth child with blond hair and blue eyes that he had never met before, but recognized as Naruto, the Yamanaka's newest "guest". Naruto did not appear to have exerted himself at all, even though he was currently running back and forth throughout the area, moving teasingly close to Shikamaru before dancing out of the way, a small smirk planted firmly on his face.

As Itachi watched, all the children began moving in slow motion, blue flickers of chakra dancing under their skin and ghostly images preceding their every move. Itachi was shocked to find that he had activated his sharingan without even realizing it, but before he could turn it off his attention was drawn to Naruto.

There were no ghostly images preceding Naruto's movement, and there were no blue flickers of chakra. Instead his eyes showed Naruto surrounded by a red aura, appearing almost as if he were consumed in flames. The aura was far brighter than any child should be capable of, and certainly not a child who did not even appear to be seriously exerting himself. The aura pulsed in a regular rhythm, and as he looked closely, the three tomoe that marked the activation of a fully matured sharingan spinning madly, he could just begin to make out brief flashes of blue chakra. Every bit of the blue chakra was almost completely surrounded by the red aura, and they almost seemed to be intertwined, woven together.

He had never seen anything like it in his life.

When he was first informed of Naruto's status, an event that occurred the very day he activated his sharingan, he had tried to determine what effect that would have on a child. From the descriptions of the seal he had imagined an enormous reservoir of power, lying dormant and untapped within the child's body. This... was not dormant.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Sasuke tugged on his cloak, and he shut off his sharingan before any of the children noticed. Although, judging by the look in Naruto's eyes and the curious tilt of his head, he may have been a little too late.

The other children saw that Naruto had stopped running, and turned to follow his gaze. When they saw the two new children standing there, they called a temporary halt to their game and hurried over to greet the newcomers. The Uchiha did not have close bonds with any of the other families invited today, but the children had met Sasuke before; Itachi they had only heard about.

"Hey Sasuke!" Ino called out, waving. "Is this your brother?"

Sasuke nodded a little shyly, still slightly uncomfortable among the children he did not know that well. "Yeah, this is Itachi-nii-san."

"Cool! I'm Ino Yamanaka, it's nice to- holy crap, is that a ninja headband?"

Itachi's expression did not change as he replied. "Yes. I have already graduated the Academy."

"That is so cool!" Ino yelled. Shikamaru and Chouji also appeared to be impressed, if the faintly dumbstruck looks on their faces were any indication.

"Is that unusual?" Naruto asked, his head still tilted and his eyes focused on Itachi.

Ino jumped in before Itachi could respond. "Very! That means he graduated after just one year and he's already a genin! He's gotta be, like, super strong to do that! Hey, I bet you could do that too, little brother!" She seemed excited for a minute, then suddenly looked worried. "But don't do that!" She contradicted herself. "If you graduate early we can't be on the same team!"

Naruto didn't respond right away, his eyes still fixed on Itachi. "Hmm... I'm not so sure, Nee-chan. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that."

Ino seemed to take this as a personal insult. "You are too! You could totally graduate in a year! I bet you could do it in like, six months!" She shook herself again. "But don't!"

Itachi's eyes never wavered as he met Naruto's calculating gaze with his own. He had heard rumors of the intelligence of Naruto, although the boy was still far too young to evaluate the level of his physical skill and chakra control. Still, Naruto's gaze held nothing childish. There was curiosity, but no wonder. It was steady, calm, evaluating. It was a ninja's gaze... no, it was the gaze of a predator.

His eyes itched to activate again, to use the power of his bloodline to dissect and examine the oddity that was Naruto, but now was not the time. He spoke again, his gaze still locked with Naruto's in their impromptu contest.

"Sasuke, I will be heading out now; I must return to my duties. I will come by tomorrow to pick you up to return home. Enjoy yourself," Itachi said.

"But Nii-san..." Sasuke said, his voice not quite a whine.

Itachi finally turned his gaze away, ignoring the feeling that he had somehow lost a contest as he turned to Sasuke. His right hand emerged from his cloak with his index finger extended. The hand slowly moved towards Sasuke before finally poking him in the middle of the forehead. "Foolish little brother," he said fondly.

"Nii-san! Don't do that!" Sasuke said, rubbing his forehead. His voice was definitely whining now, and the other children stifled a laugh. Naruto watched their interaction curiously.

Itachi shook his head and turned. He moved away in a quick shunshin, the world whipping past as he left the Yamanaka's backyard. He would need to think on what he had seen today. His instincts screamed that Naruto was dangerous. Even as young as he was he found it ridiculous to think that a four year old could be a threat, but he had learned long ago to trust his instincts. Those same instincts had led to him mastering his sharingan years before most Uchiha even activated theirs for the first time, after all. If his instincts said Naruto was dangerous, then Naruto was dangerous.

Now he just needed to figure out why.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, Itachi. One of the most fascinating characters in canon, even if he got a rather shitty deal in the end.**

**It's interesting to compare Itachi's progress to that of Kakashi. Kakashi actually graduated younger (at 5) and was chuunin a year later (6). Itachi also graduated after a single year, but did so at 7. He mastered his sharingan at 8, but didn't become a chuunin until 10. However, at 13 when Kakashi was a new jounin, Itachi was an ANBU Captain. Itachi was widely considered to be far stronger than Kakashi by the time canon rolled around, so those numbers don't really make sense - unless you take the Third Shinobi War into account.**

**I think during the War children were allowed to attend the Academy sooner, graduate sooner, and were promoted faster - probably due to a combination of need and the wealth of experience they would gain in battle, assuming they survived. Itachi graduating so quickly in peace time is thus more meaningful than Kakashi's graduation, though both are definitely impressive. Similarly, Itachi had to wait for the Chuunin Exams while Kakashi almost certainly received a battlefield promotion.**

**The "fluff" chapters end here for the time being, and events quickly turn more serious and deadly in the coming chapters.**

**Revised - 03/09/2012 - removed references to "Uzumaki" as Naruto's last name.  
**


	8. The First Clue

-April 29th-

-1:45 AM-

-Outside the Yamanaka Residence-

Kaito Miyazaki had been a jounin of Kumo for fifteen years, and he had very little to show for it. Oh, he wasn't hurting for money; he lived in a comfortable apartment and had enough money saved for a rainy day, but those sorts of things didn't mean anything to Kaito. He craved recognition, the kind of recognition Maruyama got, even in a village as far away as Konoha.

Kaito wasn't a particularly good ninja, but he wasn't a particularly bad ninja either. No bad ninja would ever survive long enough to make full jounin, and Kaito was actually above average as jounin went. And in one particular area he was far, far above average – it just wasn't an area that got a lot of attention or glory. It got plenty of respect among those in the know, but the very nature of his exploits prevented him from attaining the glory he so desperately sought.

Kaito was an infiltration specialist, the best in all of Kumo in fact. But you don't go bragging to other villages or even your fellow ninja about how you stole secrets and successfully infiltrated enemy villages. So Kaito suffered for years under the irony of achieving incredible feats that benefited his village and not being able to tell anyone about it.

Well, that all ended tonight.

His original mission, the mission of the entire delegation in fact, had been to gather as much intelligence as possible on Konoha while the negotiations took place. As far as ninja affairs went this was practically expected, and Konoha had actually done a very good job of subtly guiding their search for information in directions that _seemed_ promising but were ultimately useless or meaningless. If Kaito hadn't been lucky enough to overhear the conversation between the Yamanaka and Hyuuga clan heads the delegation would likely have gained little information of value. In fact, under normal circumstances even that information would have been considered irrelevant or useless. But where his fellow ninja would have seen a useless bit of trivia, Kaito had seen a golden opportunity.

He had kept that bit of information to himself, and directed his intelligence efforts into discovering everything he possibly could about that sleepover. What he found was practically the perfect opportunity to cement his name into Kumo legend forever. The Hyuuga _and _the Uchiha children would both be attending this party, outside of their heavily protected and fortified clan compounds. Even better, the event was taking place on the night before the delegation was scheduled to leave. If the plan worked out as it should, Konoha would be forced to release the entire delegation due to lack of evidence and within the day he would be well on his way to Kumo with two of the most powerful bloodlines in all the Elemental Nations as his prize. He was practically drooling as he imagined the rapturous welcome he would receive when he reached his village.

He watched as the last of the guards moved out of range and quickly dispelled the security seals guarding the window on the ground floor. As he had expected each family had provided a ninja or two to watch over the house for the duration of the night, but the guards were relaxed and inattentive, secure in the knowledge that they were guarding an already highly secure ninja compound in the middle of a highly secure ninja village.

Kaito would admit that the compound _was_ well-secured – and there were signs that the security was currently being upgraded even further – but he had dealt with far worse in his day. Static defenses were almost always less troublesome than human guards in his experience, and these guards were relatively pathetic. He grinned to himself as he slipped inside, carefully watching for additional security as he made his way towards the upstairs bedrooms where the children were sleeping.

Kaito could perhaps be forgiven for overlooking the obvious flaws in his plan. The infiltration itself he had planned well, and his extraction plan was acceptable, if a little optimistic. However, if he had taken a more objective look at the situation rather than allowing his greed and ambition to cloud his judgment, he would have realized the political ramifications that would likely lead to the Fourth Shinobi War if he successfully kidnapped two prominent members of Konoha's most powerful clans.

Of course, on this particular night, that was the least of his worries.

* * *

-Yamanaka Residence, Upstairs Bedroom-

Kuushou's eyes snapped open as a tantalizingly familiar scent wafted into his nostrils. It was incredibly faint and it took him nearly a minute to finally place the smell, but when he did he almost unleashed a victorious howl. For the first time since his return to the human realm he had caught the scent of his brethren, two of them in fact: Seika the Two-Tails and Atsuzan the Eight-Tails. Given the age of the scent he knew that whoever or whatever currently carried it had not met them recently, but this was the first real lead he had gotten and he was not about to let it go.

Swiftly but quietly getting to his feet, he stepped over the sleeping bags containing the other children as he moved towards the door. Pulling it open and taking a deep whiff to track down the new scent, he slipped out into the hallway.

Behind him Ino rubbed her eyes tiredly as she noticed him leaving the room. She almost went back to sleep, but was curious as to what her little brother was up to and so got up to follow him.

Kuushou followed the scent downstairs into the kitchen, where he observed an unfamiliar ninja with his entire form concealed in black, form-fitting clothing. The ninja was incredibly quiet, his clothing barely making a rustle as he moved slowly through the room towards the stairs, but it was the scent that Kuushou was following.

Kuushou spoke quietly so as not to alert the rest of the house – that could wait until he had gotten the answers he wanted.

"If you answer my questions, I might be inclined to allow you to leave quietly," he said, hiding in the shadows and using his youki to make his voice seem much deeper than it normally was – it wouldn't do for the ninja to realize he was being questioned by a child.

The invader froze, spreading his arms slightly to show that he was unarmed. "Ask," he bit off angrily but still making sure to keep his voice low.

"Where are you from?"

"Konoha, of course. Where else would I be from?"

Kuushou inhaled deeply. "Mmm... I think not. You are definitely not from around here. I'd say you are part of the Kumo delegation." The way the invader stiffened slightly and refused to answer was all the confirmation he needed.

Kuushou nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, Kumo it is. Alright, next question: when and where did you last come in contact with a jinchuuriki?"

_"What?" _the invader asked incredulously... and a little too loudly. There was a muffled thump from the hallway, and both Kuushou and the invader froze. They both turned slowly to look at the door then watched in disbelief as Ino walked into the kitchen rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Naruto... what are you looking for with the lights off?" she said, and flipped the switch.

For a long moment both Kuushou and the invader stared at Ino. She blinked her eyes again then looked at the strange man that was standing in her parents' kitchen. Her eyes grew wide as the threat began to register, and her mouth opened.

Then all hell broke loose.

The foreign ninja moved in a blur as he rushed forward, his hands dipping into pouches tied to his legs. Kuushou cursed loudly and sprang into action, channeling youki into his muscles to increase his strength and response time. As he leapt into the air, he found it curious that he had chosen to aim at Ino instead of attacking the invader directly. Then his body slammed into hers and she was thrown back into the hallway.

Two kunai ripped into his body and blood flew through the air. Ino's strangled scream coincided with the shattering of the living room window, the front door nearly being thrown off its hinges as it slammed open, and a door upstairs being thrown open with a loud bang. Loud screeching sounds filled the house and chakra visibly rippled over the walls as multiple security seals were tripped and alarms sounded. The noise was almost deafening, but it certainly seemed to have done its job.

Kuushou watched in fascination as several indistinct blurs moved in the kitchen and hallway. One blur intercepted Ino and vanished from sight, presumably removing her from the battlefield. He saw another headed for him, but it was cut off by two blurs that locked together and resolved into the intruder and a Hyuuga.

The intruder snarled and reached into his pouch for another kunai, but suddenly froze with his hand halfway there. The Hyuuga's eyes were bulging, veins visibly throbbing around his completely white eyes showing that he had already activated his bloodline, the famous All-Seeing Eye, the byakugan. His hands glowed faintly blue as they blurred through the air, striking the intruder with a series of featherlight touches. The intruder's eyes widened in horror and disbelief and he remained locked in position for a long moment. Then the shadows around his feet suddenly thinned and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, unconscious before he even hit the floor.

"Impressive," Kuushou said, or rather tried to. The word escaped his throat in an indistinct, breathy gurgle, surprising him. He looked down and finally noticed the two kunai sticking out of his body, one lodged deep in his chest and the other sticking completely through his stomach. He allowed his attention to drift internally for a moment, and realized that the first kunai had pierced his right lung while the second had sliced through his stomach and only narrowly missed his spine. He detached his senses as the pain began to register and focused on repairing or at least stabilizing the body as best he could until a med-nin arrived and he had a template to work from.

The body's eyes drifted shut as it began to shut down, but its ears remained open and Kuushou listened to the events occurring around him.

* * *

"Get a fucking med-nin in here right now, goddammit!" Inoichi screamed, ripping off his night shirt and pressing it to Naruto's body in a vain attempt to staunch the flow of blood. Barely a week in his home and already the boy was dying again. He spared a moment to be thankful that Ino wasn't present to see her little brother like this before he was shoved aside by an ANBU. He almost lashed out before he noticed the green glow around the ANBU's hands that signified the use of a medical jutsu.

He let out a shaky breath as he stumbled to his feet, nearly slipping in the blood pooling around Naruto. Kami, how did such a small body hold so much blood? '_Because that's all the blood he has.' _a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. He refused to even acknowledge the thought, and turned his attention to the piece of shit that had broken into his house and murdered- no, _tried _to murder his son.

The blood began pounding in his ears as he stepped towards the man lying prone on the floor. That he was already unconscious was all that kept Inoichi from beating him to a pulp, though it didn't stop him from planting a vicious kick in the man's ribs. The ANBU stripping the man of any weapons and tools tensed slightly, but continued working without comment when Inoichi made no further move to attack. That didn't stop Inoichi from nearly decking the Hyuuga guard when the man touched his shoulder to gain his attention.

Inoichi's face twisted darkly. "How the fuck did that piece of shit get in my house?"

The Hyuuga guard was tense, but did not cower or back away in the face of Inoichi's anger. "It appears that the intruder slipped between our patrols and deactivated the security seals on the living room window in order to gain entry."

Inoichi almost asked how the guard could know that, before realizing that his byakugan was still activated. The All-Seeing Eye allowed the user the ability to see in all directions at once, greatly increased the range of the user's vision, and allowed the user's sight to penetrate solid objects. Despite appearing to look directly at Inoichi, the Hyuuga could actually observe the entire house without moving his head or even shifting his eyes. The byakugan also allowed the user to see even the faintest traces of chakra – most ninja could only see chakra when it was released outside the body in large quantities, but a Hyuuga could even see chakra inside another ninja's body or even inside objects, an ability that they had used as the basis for an absolutely devastating taijutsu style.

The Hyuuga continued his report, "Judging by the residual chakra still draining from the seals, the intruder has been in the house less than three minutes. Given that he was in the kitchen at the time of his discovery, it would appear he was moving very slowly to avoid activating any of the internal security measures. As it was, he still needed to disarm the security seals at the bottom of the stairs, the top of the stairs, and any of the individual rooms."

Inoichi nodded shakily. Despite the situation, the breach wasn't nearly as bad as it appeared. If Ino and Naruto had been upstairs, the intruder would almost certainly have been caught by the guards patrolling the grounds or set off one of the seals and alerted the entire household. Inoichi turned to find Ino and figure out why she and Naruto were out of bed when the Hyuuga guard's eyes widened - an incredibly disturbing sight with the byakugan activated - and his head turned to look up the stairs.

Inoichi followed the Hyuuga's gaze and his own eyes widened. Standing at the top of the stairs, faces white, eyes wide, and mouths gaping, were the other children. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, and quickly ran up the stairs to block their sight of Naruto.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he mustered the most authoritative voice he could without sounding harsh or angry. "Alright, all of you go back to your rooms. The situation is under control and Naruto is receiving medical attention." He couldn't bring himself to say that Naruto would be fine. He knew mentally that Naruto had already survived being stabbed in the heart, but that knowledge seemed weak in the face of the scene he had witnessed downstairs.

He noticed that the children were no longer looking downstairs, but now they seemed to be staring at him, faces still white and eyes round. Even as he looked down at himself and realized that the front of his pants from the knees down were soaked in blood and that his hands had smeared blood over part of his torso – and probably his face, he realized grimly – Kiku finally stumbled out of their bedroom, a robe hastily thrown on over her night gown. As a civilian, even one married into a ninja family, she reacted far more slowly than Inoichi. He still wished she had managed to reach the hallway before the children, though he wasn't sure she could have handled the sight of Naruto any better than the children had.

"Honey, what is going- oh Kami. Inoichi, are you alright? What's happened? Where's Ino? Where's Naruto?" she asked, beginning to panic.

Inoichi started to raise his hand to stop her, but realized that the sight of the blood probably wouldn't help the situation much. He settled for trying to talk over her. "Kiku, Kiku! Ino's fine, the situation is under control. Please, help me get the kids back into their room."

She nodded shakily and started gathering up the kids, ushering them back down the hallway. Inoichi was just grateful that she hadn't noticed the omission of Naruto's state just yet, though he didn't expect that to last long. The children were coming out of their shock and he could hear the sniffles starting as they began to cry. She'd learn soon enough that Naruto was most certainly not fine at the moment.

After a quick stop in the bathroom to wash the blood off his face and hands, and another stop in his bedroom to get a fresh set of clothing, Inoichi made his way back downstairs. Naruto was no longer present, and the Hyuuga guard - Hiroshi, Inoichi finally remembered - confirmed that the ANBU had stabilized him enough to move him to the ANBU hospital. Again. Inoichi nodded, then set off to find his daughter.

He found her in the living room, completely hysterical, while the Nara guard, Kouta, tried to awkwardly comfort her. Inoichi waved him off and sat down next to her, wrapping her in his arms. When she realized who it was, she started sobbing into his chest, muttering something over and over. He eventually made out that she was saying "Sorry".

"Ino, honey, it's not your fault. It's ok, it's not your fault," he kept repeating, and Ino slowly calmed down enough to speak coherently. "What happened?" Inoichi asked gently.

It took Ino a few more seconds to gather her thoughts. "I heard Naruto get up and head downstairs, and I followed him to see if he needed help or something. I thought that, that, that he," Ino started to cry again, and it was a few more minutes before Inoichi could get her to continue. By this time the other parents had begun arriving, their clothes hastily thrown on as they rushed over to see to their own children. Chouza and Shikaku had already checked on their sons and left their wives upstairs while they came back down to give Inoichi some support. They had seen the large amount of blood in the hallway and already noticed that only a single child was not present, and none of the other children appeared injured in the slightest. Their faces were grim as they sat nearby, listening to Ino.

"I thought that he might be looking to get a drink, or maybe he had a bad dream. I just wanted to help him!" She looked ready to cry again, but pulled herself back together. "I heard something in the kitchen and thought it was Naruto, but when I turned the light on there was someone dressed all in black standing there. The guy jumped at me, then Naruto came out of nowhere and pushed me back into the hall and then there was blood everywhere and Naruto was, was-" Ino dissolved into tears again, and Inoichi let her cry it out. He'd gotten enough information.

He felt strangely proud of Naruto. A little over a week ago Naruto's first response to danger had been to obliterate the threat. Now apparently his priority had shifted such that he was willingly throwing himself into danger to protect his sister. Inoichi blinked, startled at that thought. Apparently at some point in the last week he'd started thinking of Naruto as a permanent part of the family, rather than as just a patient or the boy who was living with them. He also realized he'd thought of Naruto as his own son earlier. He tested the thought again: it felt strange, and different, but also very right.

He was worried that this change in perception would only make the loss that much harder to bear if Naruto did not survive. He'd seen enough trauma to know that the other children, especially Ino, would already bear scars from this night. If Naruto died, those scars would only get worse.

* * *

-2:00 AM-

-ANBU HQ, Medical Wing-

Shizune burst into the operating room and moved swiftly to the operating table. She had a full kit of her own medical supplies strapped to her body securely, but the rest of her clothes were hastily thrown on; her shirt appeared to be inside-out and her pants were wrinkled. Her hair was pulled back with what appeared to be ninja wire.

"Status," Shizune snapped, her hands glowing green as she activated her own healing jutsu.

One of the med-nin stepped back to allow Shizune better access to Naruto and brought her up to speed. "He was brought in with two stab wounds, both caused by kunai which were still present in his body. We focused on removing the kunai in his lung first, and are currently working on stabilizing his breathing and slowing the blood loss. His chakra is reacting strangely to the treatment however and we are having trouble isolating the wound to begin the necessary repairs."

Shizune cursed. "Dammit, didn't you read the reports from last week?" The med-nin shuffled uncomfortably and shook her head. "You can't isolate his organs from his chakra or his body begins to shut down! Just ignore his chakra and focus on healing the wound!"

"But, what about the chakra reactions..." the med-nin stuttered.

"Of all the- get the hell out of the way," Shizune snapped, shoving the other med-nins aside. She focused both her hands on Naruto's right lung, moving the blood out of his lungs and slowly repairing the damage from the inside out. She may not have been involved in his last surgery, but she had made sure to question the med-nins involved extensively on what had happened and how Naruto's chakra reacted.

As she expected, as her healing jutsu began its work Naruto's chakra swirled around hers for a few seconds before moving to other parts of the wound. Even expecting it, she was still stunned by the speed at which Naruto's chakra healed the wound. In less that a minute his lung was completely healed, and as with the stab wound to his heart she could find no evidence that he had ever been stabbed at all.

Forcing her wonder aside she moved her hands to the kunai still lodged in his stomach. One hand gripped the kunai and slowly began to back it out, while the other healed the damage it left behind. By the time the kunai had been completely removed the wound was purged of contaminants and was sealed tightly. As before, there was no sign Naruto had ever been injured there.

She let out a relieved breath and slowly relaxed. An operation to heal wounds of that magnitude on a child would normally have taken hours and probably failed anyway. Once Naruto's chakra was allowed to assist, it took less than five minutes. Her mind drifted to the possibilities of such an ability if Naruto could do the same for other people. If he could, he would be far and away the best med-nin to ever walk the Elemental Nations, making herself and her teacher look like bumbling idiots. She resolved to push forward with his training as much as possible, regulations be damned.

She was drawn from her musings when Naruto opened his eyes. "Hey, Shizune-nee-chan. I guess you're the one who healed me this time?" he asked, his voice steady.

She lurched forward and gathered him into her arms, holding him tightly as a few tears spilled down her cheeks. "Yeah, Naruto-kun. I healed you. You're alright now." She said, more to herself than Naruto.

His hands patted her back gently as he returned the hug. "It's alright Nee-chan. You're an awesome med-nin, of course you could fix me right up."

The other people in the room just watched the scene dumbly, still shocked at Naruto's incredibly swift recovery. To them it appeared almost as if Naruto was comforting Shizune, rather than the other way around.

* * *

-3:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Mikoto Uchiha was the last parent to enter the living room after Inoichi called for them all to gather. While Inoichi had nothing against her personally, he was disgusted to note that her husband had not bothered to show up in person. He didn't care much for Fugaku, but he had thought the man at least cared enough for his family to make sure they were safe and sound. _Itachi, _the nearly emotionless genius who had already become a genin, had accompanied his mother to the Yamanaka residence. Neither Mikoto nor Itachi said a word about Fugaku's absence, but the way Mikoto's fists clenched and Itachi's face tightened when his absence was commented on showed they were not particularly happy with him either.

"Why are we here?" Tsume Inuzuka asked bluntly, her hair even more untamed than usual. She had at least taken the time to throw on her jounin uniform, though the vest hung open. Her canine partner, Kuromaru, was sitting at her feet. He kept sniffing the air as if looking for something, drawing the occasional curious glance from the other occupants of the room. "Not to insult you Inoichi, but I'd feel much better if Kiba was back at home with me, and I'm sure the others feel the same."

Inoichi waved off her concern. "I understand fully. I am not the one who called us together, however."

Shibi adjusted his sunglasses slightly. No one found it the least bit odd that he was still wearing them in the middle of the night - everyone in the room knew that the glasses were not worn for protection from the sun. "Then who called us together?" he asked.

"That would be me," Sarutobi said, entering the room. The other occupants startled slightly but quickly snapped off salutes and polite greetings. Sarutobi waved them off impatiently. "All of your children were potentially threatened by the events of this night, even if it was Naruto-kun who bore the brunt of the attack. He is fine, by the way. Shizune-chan says he will make a full recovery." A small lie, since Shizune had said Naruto was _already_ completely recovered, but the other people in the room didn't need to know just how fast Naruto could heal.

Inoichi let out a shaky breath and wiped his hand over his face. He was most definitely not crying. He felt Chouza and Shikaku both put a hand on his shoulder and sent them a grateful nod.

Sarutobi smiled at Inoichi briefly before his face turned serious again. "We have begun interrogating the intruder, but we already have a rather interesting piece of information: his identity." Grim faces stared back at him, waiting for him to continue. "The intruder was Kaito Miyazaki, part of the Kumo delegation." As expected, the ninja in the room began to mutter angrily, hands twitching towards their weapons. Tsume appeared ready to rip the delegation apart with her bare hands, a feat she was certainly capable of.

Unsurprisingly, it was Hiashi whose mind turned to the political implications. "Are they going to demand that he be released into their custody?"

The Hokage smiled, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Why would they need to? Kaito is still present in the hotel, after all. Clearly the man who broke into this house was an impostor attempting to frame Kumo and disrupt the treaty negotiations. As any good ally would, we will do all in our power to uncover the true identity of this ninja and inform Kumo. When they discover that Kaito replaced himself with a clone supplemented with a genjutsu and that the intruder was in fact Kaito after all... well, sometimes our interrogators go a little too far and irreparable damage is the unfortunate result."

The other ninja nodded, understanding the Hokage's message.

Sarutobi then looked at Inoichi directly. "Your former apprentice might require your assistance, Inoichi. It would be a shame to deprive him of your guidance on this occasion."

Inoichi shot to his feet, a genuine smile on his face. "Understood, Hokage-sama. Thank you," he said, then vanished in a shunshin, heading to the Torture and Interrogation department.

It was Shibi who asked the next question. "What if the rest of the delegation was involved after all, Hokage-sama?"

There was nothing kind or gentle about the smile on Sarutobi's face. "Then diplomacy will be the least of their concerns," he said.

* * *

**A/N: One thing I have never understood in canon is how exactly a Kumo kidnapping Hinata and nearly escaping turned into an international incident where Konoha was the party at fault. **

**Yes, Hiashi did kill the Kumo ninja, but the ninja had Hinata and was attempting to flee the city. Even if, as in canon, Kumo could demand justice for that, it would be offset by the ninja's own crimes. That this somehow lead to Hizashi giving up his life, Neji's hatred of the Main Branch in general and Hinata in particular, thus leading to Hinata's crippling shyness and lack of confidence... that just smacks of diabolus ex machina. **

**Consider the big picture for a moment. Even if Kumo was willing to go to war over this incident, was _capable _of going to war over this incident, and this incident could have lead to the Fourth Ninja War... then Hizashi should be a goddamn hero in canon, heralded alongside the Fourth Hokage himself as a man who sacrificed his own life to save the village. Instead, no one has a bloody clue as to what Neji is so ticked about, and no one mentions anything except when Neji, Hinata, or Naruto bring it up. Hell, I think they even mention that Neji is airing the clan's "dirty laundry" when he talks about it during the Exams, although that may be a fanfic thing.  
**

**And why would Sarutobi give in to the demands of a foreign village who had just attempted to steal the heiress of one of their most prominent clans? Sadly, there is a ready answer for this in canon: that's what Sarutobi does. He's a compromiser, a peace-maker. Orochimaru? Yep, let him flee the village when he could have stopped him cold that night. Danzo? Yep, let's him carry on unimpeded. Homura and Koharu? Yep, apparently they get to walk all over him. Hell, even during the exams, Orochimaru threatens to do "bad things" if they disrupt the exams or pull Sasuke out... and Sarutobi just goes right along with it. You could argue he's too old and lost some of his fire and determination, or that he's just trying to save lives, but _come on, _you have to draw the line somewhere. There's being accommodating, then there's being a doormat.  
**

**As you can see above, the Sarutobi in this AU is not spineless, and you'll see that played out in future chapters and, in some cases, flashbacks. That said, his more aggressive stance isn't always a good thing...  
**


	9. Corrective Action

**A/N: My apologies to anyone who saw the copy of chapter eight that replaced chapter nine for a time. Made a mistake during updating some of the chapters. Fixed a typo, wiped out the chapter. .**

-April 29th, 338 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"The Hokage will see you now, Maruyama-san," the secretary said, smiling politely. The Kumo ninja barely acknowledged her as he stepped past and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.

As one of the senior-most ninja in Kumo, he had of course been in the Raikage's office on many occasions, and he had always been curious what the other Kage's offices were like. He was a little disappointed to find that the Hokage's office was actual very similar to that of the Raikage: a desk stacked with paperwork, pictures of previous Hokages hanging on the wall - along with one of Sarutobi himself, taken when he was newly appointed Hokage judging by the youthful look - and several chairs scattered throughout the room. The couch sitting to one side was different, though; the Raikage kept a collection of weights in his office so that he could exercise and maintain his strength while working. Apparently the Hokage favored napping on the job, Katsuo thought derisively.

His evaluation of the office was interrupted when the old man sitting behind the desk looked up from his paperwork. "Ah, Maruyama-san, I wasn't expecting you. I thought the Kumo delegation had already left earlier this morning," the Hokage said pleasantly.

Katsuo felt another wave of disgust. The Hokage didn't even know when foreign ninja were present in his village? It appeared the skills of the so-called 'God of Shinobi' had dulled considerably with age. He kept his thoughts to himself, however.

"Unfortunately, one of the members of my delegation was missing when we awoke this morning. We waited to see if he would return on his own, but he has not. I am asking your permission and cooperation in searching the village to locate him," Katsuo said, gritting his teeth slightly. If he had his way his fellow ninja would already be combing the village. However, even if the Hokage was a mere shadow of his former self, he had to remain polite. Kumo had a lot to gain from this alliance, and offending the old fool by stepping on his ninja's toes would erase all the progress they had made over the past week.

Sarutobi blinked owlishly, looking surprised. "Really? I wasn't aware that anyone had left your hotel since yesterday evening. Let me call my Jounin Commander in and see what we can find out."

Katsuo stifled his impatience as the Nara was called, shifting silently in place until he stepped into the room.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku asked, bowing.

"Did anyone escort any of the Kumo delegation from the hotel last night?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Shikaku said immediately.

The Hokage turned back to face Katsuo. "Well, that seems odd... are you sure he isn't in the hotel somewhere?"

Katsuo's knuckles popped as he clenched his fists, but he held back his anger. This senile old fool was wasting his time. "Absolutely, Hokage-sama."

"Well, that doesn't seem right then... did your ninja leave the hotel on his own?"

Katsuo's frustration got the better of him as he snapped off his reply. "It would seem so, Hokage-sama."

The transformation from senile old man to battle-hardened veteran ninja happened in an instant. "Then your delegation has violated the conditions of your stay within Konoha. Your group will be escorted immediately to the gates of Konoha, and a message sent to the Raikage demanding compensation for this trespass. It is unfortunate that one of your ninja would jeopardize the negotiations for the treaty in such a manner, but I will leave the consequences of that up to your Raikage."

Katsuo was reeling in shock from the change in the Hokage even as he realized just how thoroughly their entire delegation had been played, probably from the moment they first walked into Konoha. A week spent with the kindly, slightly forgetful grandfather image had instilled a false sense of security and caused him to underestimate the old man, and now he had been lured into providing an admission of guilt out of his own mouth. He didn't know whether to admire their deception or curse himself for falling for it.

"As for your missing comrade, no one has turned up identifying themselves as affiliated with your group. However, we did make several arrests last night and its possible there was a mix up of some sort and that he was one of them. If you will provide a name and description, we will see if we can find him for you. ANBU."

As the Hokage finished speaking, two ANBU appeared behind him each grabbing hold of his shoulder and arm. They did not apply excessive pressure or seek to cause discomfort, but they made it very clear that they could immobilize him at a moment's notice.

"Escort Maruyama-san to his team, then escort the entire group to the northern gate."

Thirty minutes later, the Kumo ninja were waiting restlessly outside the gates of the village. Two ANBU squads had kept watch over them the entire time, and they were beginning to wonder how long the Hokage intended to keep them waiting. There was a small commotion near the gates and Katsuo turned to see the Hokage and most of the clan heads from Konoha's Council walking towards his group. They approached at a sedate pace, but Katsuo could see that their faces were tense and unfriendly, a stark contrast to their demeanor earlier in the week.

"Ah, Maruyama-san. How nice to see you again," the Hokage said. Now that Katsuo knew it was an act, he actually found the grandfatherly expression on the Hokage's face a little disturbing. "We did manage to locate someone matching Kaito Miyazaki's description, but I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. It seems that Kaito broke into a clan compound and attempted to murder the child of one of our ninja clans. He was caught, but not before the child was gravely injured," the Hokage said, deliberately keeping the exact details vague.

Katsuo's face paled as he listened to Sarutobi speak – this was bad. This was very bad. Kumo was strong, but they could ill afford a war with Konoha, especially if the village as a whole underplayed their strength as the Hokage had. That the village acknowledged as the strongest in the Elemental Nations could actually be even stronger than they appeared to be worried him greatly. Even if the situation did not lead to war, the damage to the negotiations and Kumo's potential alliance with Konoha would be considerable.

He heard his fellow ninja tensing and a couple even reached for weapons, and he barked a command for them to stand down. He kept his eyes on Sarutobi the whole time. The old man's face may be smiling and apologetic, but his eyes were sharp and watchful, almost eager. Katsuo shivered; he didn't doubt that part of the Hokage wanted them to attack. Whichever clan Kaito attacked – and he privately suspected that the Hyuuga compound had been targeted – the Hokage and the clan heads were taking it very seriously.

Katsuo licked his lips nervously before he spoke. "Where is Kaito now?"

"Ah, well that's some more bad news, unfortunately. Since Kaito did not identify himself as a Kumo ninja and did not have any identification on his person, he was taken to the Interrogation Department. It seems that he refused to talk, and I'm afraid that they got a little excited." Sarutobi gave a soft sigh. "Kids these days just don't know when to stop, do they?" he said, voice almost wistful.

Katsuo felt Sarutobi's eyes boring into his own. The Hokage's tone may be light and conversational, but the underlying message was clear. Kaito had crossed a line and paid the price. It remained to be seen just what that price was, however.

"Well, now that you know who he is, would you be willing to release him into our custody? I will personally see to it that the proper reparations are paid for his trespass," Katsuo offered.

Instead of answering verbally, the Hokage snapped his fingers. Two ANBU appeared in a shunshin, dropped something on the ground in front of Katsuo, and vanished again. The Hokage's eyes never left Katsuo's, and Katsuo was almost afraid to look down. The retching sounds coming from behind him told him all he needed to know about Kaito's state.

"It appears there might be a small amount of permanent damage. Konoha ninja take a very dim view of anyone who attacks children, and that seems to have fed into their eagerness in the interrogation. Still, I just can't find it in myself to chastise them too severely. I feel much the same myself, after all," the Hokage said, his tone still pleasant.

Katsuo nodded slowly. "I understand perfectly, Hokage-sama."

"Wonderful! I'm glad we had this little discussion. I will contact the Raikage soon to discuss our next steps, but I'm afraid given the circumstances that the negotiations will be on hold for now," Sarutobi said. His face changed into that chilling visage that made people remember just why he was known as one of the most powerful ninja to ever walk the Elemental Nations.

"Now get out of my village."

* * *

-11:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino were waiting for the Hokage to return to discuss the results of their interrogation of Kaito Miyazaki. They had already confirmed that the other members of the delegation had not been involved at any point of the attack, but they had found out a great deal of useful information that merited the Hokage's attention.

They were chatting about some of the more surprising bits of information Inoichi had managed to pull from Kaito's mind. They were also trying to avoid thinking about what they had done to the man. Interrogation could be an ugly business, but they usually avoided dealing permanent or debilitating damage, especially to another ninja. It was an unwritten rule among the villages to avoid that sort of thing – it helped keep the violence from spiraling out of control in times of peace and possibly leading up to another war.

The Hokage's orders on this matter were intended to send a clear message to Kumo that they had crossed the line. His earlier conversation with Maruyama underscored that point while letting the Raikage know exactly why Konoha had gone that far. It was a calculated risk on their part – Kumo wouldn't be happy and would likely demand reparations of their own for the treatment of their ninja, but they most likely wouldn't seek to retaliate otherwise; that the Hokage had left the rest of the delegation unmolested would help a great deal in lowering the tensions.

For all the physical damage Ibiki had done though, it was Inoichi's contribution that was perhaps the worst – after pulling all the memories he could from the Kumo ninja, he had completely and irrevocably shattered the man's mind, leaving the body a soulless husk. In some ways it was a mercy, but Inoichi hated using his mind techniques like that - he was far more comfortable with his role as a mind healer, which was why he had left T&I in the first place. For this man though, he had made an exception; and even disgusted with himself as he was, he would do it again if someone ever threatened his family like Kaito had.

They snapped to attention when the Hokage entered the room. Sarutobi waved at them to relax as he settled into his chair with a tired sigh. His rest the previous night had been cut very short and he had been kept busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack on the Yamanaka household. He was also eager to get through this meeting so he could finally visit Naruto in the hospital.

"Give me the most pressing information first – we'll deal with the rest another time," the Hokage commanded. Inoichi and Ibiki consulted briefly, and Inoichi stepped forward.

"Kaito was Kumo's foremost infiltrator, which explains how he was able to penetrate the security around the house with such ease. I was able to pull a great deal of information about the security of various villages and cities, including Kumo itself, from his mind. He also had two contacts within Konoha: a merchant and a waiter. We are prepared to take them into custody at any time."

The Hokage thought for a moment. "Not just yet. I want a report on what information they have provided and the likelihood that they could be used for disinformation before I make a decision there," he said finally.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. Moving on, Kaito actually overheard my conversation with Hiashi shortly after the Council meeting broke for lunch a few days ago, which is how he originally learned of the party. He was able to gather additional details on his own and made his own plans for the attack. He intended to kidnap Hinata Hyuuga and possibly Sasuke Uchiha and take them back to Kumo. He believed that doing so would cement his fame within Kumo forever, as well as greatly strengthening the village in the future when the bloodlines were firmly established. This appears to have been entirely his own idea; Kaito actually believed that the Raikage would be upset at his actions, but would forgive him and praise him if he was successful."

Ibiki stepped forward next, motioning to the folder he held in his hands. "We have compiled a list of Kaito's contacts throughout the Elemental Nations. We believe that if we act quickly we can eliminate or even subvert a substantial portion of Kumo's spy network."

The Hokage nodded, pleased. "I will pass this information on to Jiraiya; he'll decide what to do with it from there. Excellent work, both of you," he said, then turned back to Inoichi. "Were you able to get anything about his attack on your home?"

Inoichi shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The Memory Leech jutsu targets long-term memory, and the events of last night were not included. We have sufficient information from Ino and the guards to put together a solid picture of what happened; the only question at this point is why Naruto was downstairs at all. He often has trouble sleeping, however, so it would not surprise me if he was simply looking for something to drink or heading to the library."

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Inoichi... did Naruto use any of the tailed beast's chakra last night?"

Inoichi blinked. "Ah... no, actually. He didn't," he replied, surprised. He hadn't noticed that detail in the frantic haze of the moment or the constant worry that followed. "Ino said that Naruto shoved her out of the way, so it may be that he was more focused on protecting Ino than killing his attacker this time, which could perhaps have made the difference. It bodes well for his eventual recovery if his priorities have already shifted, though I'm still worried about how willing he is to put himself into harm's way. Grateful, of course," he added hurriedly. "Naruto saved Ino's life last night, but I'm still worried about him."

Ibiki snorted. "If the kid keeps healing as fast as he has the last two times, I'm not sure you can really call it 'harm's way' anymore. He's already survived two attacks that should have killed him with not even a scar to show for it. Lucky bastard," Ibiki finished, muttering. Ibiki's face alone was heavily scarred, and the bandanna he wore on his head covered an even worse sight.

The Hokage frowned, turning a disapproving glare at Ibiki. "He may heal quickly, but I'd much prefer he never get hurt at all, especially as young as he is. I am glad to hear that he and Ino are getting along as well as they have, and it gives me hope for the future that Naruto was willing to risk himself to save another. Still, he shouldn't have to make such decisions so young."

The other ninja nodded in agreement and they fell into a thoughtful silence. After a minute, Sarutobi cleared this throat and spoke.

"Well, unless there's something else that requires my immediate attention, I think it's time I paid a visit to our little hero," Sarutobi said. "And then maybe I can get some damn sleep," he finished under his breath. Ibiki and Inoichi politely pretended not to have heard that last part.

* * *

-2:00 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Kuushou was not sure how to feel about last night's events. On the one hand, the best chance he'd had yet to find information on the current whereabouts of any of his brethren had been interrupted by Ino's appearance, and he was rather annoyed about that. On the other hand, simply knowing that a Kumo ninja had been around them at some point in the last month or so meant that Kumo likely was still keeping them captive. His research had already determined that Seika and Atsuzan were last sighted in the Land of Lightning fighting Kumo ninja, but that information was decades old. This was the first time he'd found information that wasn't years out of date, and it also confirmed that he would be able to track his brethren once he was close enough.

In retrospect, it was unlikely he would have gotten anything useful out of the Kumo ninja anyway, and his spur of the moment confrontation likely would have ended very badly if the guards had found him talking with the ninja. Some very awkward questions could have come up that even now he wasn't sure he could have answered. From that perspective, Ino's interruption could quite possibly have saved his life; at the very least it kept suspicion off of him. So... did he actually owe her something?

His musings were interrupted when the door to his room slowly creaked open, stopping when just a small crack was visible. He could see blond hair and a blue eye peeking through the gap. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Ino-chan, what you are doing?" a voice in the hallway asked in exasperation. The door suddenly opened fully, and Ino squeaked as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. She took a long moment to pick herself up, and even as she stood fully in the room her gaze was focused firmly downward. Kiku placed a firm hand on Ino's back and guided her over to Naruto's bed.

Kuushou watched Ino curiously. She had yet to look straight at him since she entered the room, instead sending quick glances his way then looking back down. Every now and then her body would tremble, and if he wasn't mistaken her bottom lip was quivering. What in the world was she doing?

"Ino-chan, what's wrong with you? You practically dragged me over here," Kiku asked, a little concerned. Ino had been desperate to make sure Naruto was alright and she had not taken it well when she found out that Naruto wasn't allowed visitors at first. Kiku knew that Naruto had been in the ANBU hospital at the time, but the general population wasn't supposed to know that particular piece of information. Instead the story was that he had gone to the normal hospital for treatment and had only been recently moved into a room that allowed visitors. In addition, the full extent of his wounds had been downplayed while his recovery time had been inflated considerably.

When Ino had heard that Naruto was finally allowed visitors, she had almost bolted out the door by herself even though she didn't actually know where the hospital was. The entire trip over she had pleaded with her mother to go faster, but once they actually arrived at Naruto's room her demeanor completely changed. Now she seemed almost scared to be here.

"Hey, Ino-nee-chan, what's wrong? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Kuushou asked. The humans would not be happy with him if he had injured her.

That question seemed to break Ino's resolve, and she threw herself onto the bed as she burst into tears. Kuushou patted her awkwardly as she clung to him. She was babbling as she cried, but he could pick out certain phrases that were repeated over and over: "I'm sorry," and "Please don't hate me." He understood what the problem was a little better then, and knew the expected response. He unknowingly echoed Inoichi's earlier words as he rubbed her back and consoled her.

"It's ok, Ino-nee-chan. It's not your fault."

It felt strange to realize how much the little human actually cared for him - and even stranger that he did not feel disgust at the thought. His relationship with this human could not possibly compare to the millennia he had spent with the Bijuu or the centuries with his own tribe, but his mind began to recall those distant days when the Bijuu were newly born. Even then, none of the others would have dared worry for him. Even then, long before they had understood their own immortality, he had always been the most powerful - it was his job to worry about them.

He could still remember how it felt to worry about the others, though, the fear that these few beings, precious and familiar, could be taken from him never to return. He could remember the paralyzing terror that he felt when it seemed that his own little brother had perished in the first war, and the joyous relief that had come when he survived.

And despite himself, despite his anger at the humans who had sealed him and stolen his brethren from him, he found himself thinking that perhaps not all of them were enemies.

* * *

-10:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence, Main Bedroom-

"You should have seen them, Inoichi. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Ino was bawling her heart out and Naruto was hugging her for all he was worth, rocking her back and forth. I swear he was even crying a bit himself," Kiku said. She sniffled a little bit, and wiped her eyes.

"Are you crying?" Inoichi asked teasingly.

Kiku slapped him on the chest. "_Yes, _I'm crying, and you should be too. I know it's only been a little more than a week, but I already feel like Naruto is part of the family. Ino absolutely adores him, and Naruto really seems to like it here. I've even–," she cut herself off, looking a little embarrassed and unsure.

Inoichi had a good guess as to what she'd been about to say, and he sat up and pulled her closer to him. "You've even thought of him as your own son," he finished quietly.

Kiku stiffened slightly, worried. "How did you–"

"Because I have too," he assured her. "When I saw him lying there in the hallway, it was just like when Ino broke her arm, worse even. That horrible helpless feeling...," he said.

Kiku relaxed into Inoichi's embrace. "Is that normal? To feel like this so quickly?"

Inoichi shrugged. "Probably not, but do you regret it? Do you feel like we should let Naruto live somewhere else?"

"Absolutely not!" Kiku said immediately.

"Well, there you are."

They lay there in silence for a while, thinking about all the changes Naruto had already brought to their life, and the changes that would likely come in the future. Kiku spoke again after a while.

"Inoichi... do you think you can really help Naruto?" she asked uncertainly.

Inoichi held her tighter. "I will," he said, his voice full of conviction. "I will."

* * *

-May 1st, 338 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Uchiha Compound, Clan Head's Residence, Fugaku Uchiha's Private Office-

"I trust that you have learned to be a little more creative in your solutions in the future, Shinji? Yuudai?" Fugaku said.

"Yes, Fugaku-sama," they answered. The two Uchiha, the same Uchiha whom Fugaku had called upon to clear up his little problem with the civilian councilors, were currently kneeling on the floor of his office. They held themselves stiffly and their voices were tinged with pain, though they did not dare voice a complaint.

Fugaku firmly believed that pain was the best motivator, and had thoroughly beaten his lesson into their bodies over the last week. He was similar to the Hokage in this regard, though the Hokage took far less pleasure in administering the lessons, and at least made sure that those being disciplined got some benefit from the experience; Fugaku just focused on the pain.

He had not been amused to learn that both Naoki and Harumi had died while falling down stairs. It seemed that Shinji and Yuudai had decided to each perform a genjutsu on one of their targets, but it had never occurred to them to coordinate their genjutsu or to make sure that they took different approaches. Such laziness and lack of foresight did not speak well of their skills, nor did it reflect well upon the clan as a whole.

He dismissed them, and sat back in his chair as they stood and slowly hobbled out of the room. He would need someone else for such work in the future, someone far more skilled and thoughtful. Someone he could trust implicitly, of course, but still someone who was capable of thinking for themselves.

The first name to enter his mind was Itachi, but he dismissed it just as quickly; Itachi would be wasted on such tasks. No, Itachi was destined for ANBU, and would give Fugaku his first source of information within the ranks of the Hokage's most trusted ninja. At Itachi's current rate of progress, he would likely make chuunin within the year, and recruitment into the ANBU program would follow quickly. It was entirely possible that Itachi could make ANBU Captain within the next five years, destroying that Hatake brat's record. The Uchiha should be the best in all things, and Itachi was the perfect example of this.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was not. Fugaku honestly didn't know where he had gone wrong. He had married a strong kunoichi from within the clan, the only female in his generation to completely master her sharingan. Their first child had proven the strength of the Uchiha blood: perfect scores in the Academy, graduation in a single year, a perfect mission record, and well on his way to fulfilling the service and mission requirements for chuunin. Sasuke, their second child, should have followed in his brother's footsteps. Instead, Sasuke was... barely above average. A bitter disappointment. Useless.

The jinchuuriki, on the other hand, was already being compared to Itachi. If it was in chakra or raw power, Fugaku would have chalked it up to the tailed beast sealed into the child. But no, it was his intelligence and learning speed that rivaled or even outstripped Itachi's. Coupled with the rate he could heal himself, the kid might even prove to be more powerful than Itachi... if you left out the sharingan, of course. With the sharingan, it was no contest.

Fugaku sighed, and refocused on the task at hand. While the Hokage had been out dealing with the attack on the Yamanaka household and removing the Kumo ninja from Konoha, Fugaku had been scrambling to shore up his hold on the civilian side of the council. The civilians most likely to fill the now vacant seats on the Council had proven difficult to sway until he promised them a few "off the books" missions from an Uchiha ninja in addition to the traditional perks provided by his police force. Once he had secured their votes, the next vote for the temporary ninja seats on the Council would go his way, and he would have the majority of the votes on the Council following his lead. From there, it was simply a matter of time until he was Hokage.

Now he just needed a ninja capable of handling those missions while keeping it quiet, as Shinji and Yuudai had proven unsuitable to continuing to work for him in that capacity. Fugaku drummed his fingers on his desk as he reviewed possible ninja for the jobs.

It was so difficult finding good help these days.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Kurama Compound-

"Thank you for agreeing to return to active duty, Tetsuya-sama."

Tetsuya nodded solemnly. The sixty-year old shinobi had been retired for nearly a decade now, and had refused to return to active duty in the wake of the tailed beast's attack, instead focusing on managing clan affairs. This arrangement had allowed the younger members of the clan to perform more missions and so had been permitted, though a few members of the clan resented him for it. The opportunity now before the Kurama clan was too important to ignore, however.

"For the sake of the clan, I could not do otherwise," he said.

Murakumo, the current head of the Kurama clan, smiled. "Yes, once Takao and Madoka graduate early next year, the Kurama clan will finally have the requisite numbers to obtain a permanent seat on the Konoha Council. The prestige alone will greatly increase our fortunes and further secure our place within Konoha."

Unkai, Murakumo's brother, nodded in agreement. "It's been galling to watch the Uchiha flaunt their status even when so many of their members barely know which end of the kunai to hold. It's about time the Kurama finally got a say in the direction of this village."

* * *

-May 12th, 338 NE-

-Land of Whirlpools-

A tall, thin ninja wrapped in a cloak that obscured the ninja's entire body gave the courier ninja his fee and sent him on his way. The ninja waited until the courier was out of range before leaving the area, beginning the thirty-minute trek back to shelter. Only once the ninja was inside and the door sealed did she dispel the henge that concealed her form.

"We've got another letter," the woman said, tearing open the envelope. Seeing the letter was encoded, she set to work deciphering the letter's contents.

"Another job already? Don't we have enough funds for now?" her companion, another woman, asked. She was currently working her way through her sword form, her body dripping with sweat as she flowed around the room, her blade flashing through the air with deadly grace and precision.

"Let's see... Oh, it's from-" she cut off with a snarl, her face tightening with fury. Her hands began to shake as she continued to read the letter.

"What? What is it?'

The first woman thrust the letter towards her companion and stalked off to a corner. Her fists tightened and her knuckles cracked, but she stopped herself from lashing out at the wall. They couldn't afford to destroy the hideout they were in at the moment, after all.

Silence permeated the room for a long minute before the second woman dropped the letter, letting it fall to the floor.

"Tsunade," she growled, unconsciously hefting her blade, "tell me again why I can't just kill them all?"

"I'm having a hard time remembering that myself right now, Kushina."

They shared an angry glance, each wishing they had something to lash out against, something to distract themselves. Kushina was the first to break.

"What have they done to my son?" she cried, falling to her knees.

Tsunade hurried to her side, wrapping her in a hug as the other woman wailed. She couldn't find anything to say. She also couldn't stop the little ball of fear that settled in her gut, a fear that said that even when they finally got Naruto back, it might already be too late.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, so **_**that's **_**where they are.**

**The scenes where Sarutobi is dealing with the Kumo incident shows off his more aggressive attitude, coupled with the change in how the whole incident went down. In canon the attempt is ordered as a black op by the Raikage, here it's one guy with delusions of grandeur.**

**I deliberately don't describe exactly what they did to Kaito; I had some pretty nasty things in mind, but actually describing them was... disturbing, to say the least. Imagine it however mild or extreme you wish. **

**Also, am I the only one who finds my version of Sarutobi incredibly creepy at times?**

**On a more general note, I've made a few offhand mentions of village security and the like throughout the story. In this AU, actually getting into another Hidden Village without being detected is a huge deal, and incredibly difficult to pull off. There are sensor ninja and security teams dedicated to nothing but sweeping Konoha at all times to catch intruders or unknown individuals. They are a bit lax about people who are already inside, however. There are just too many ninja and civilians running around to keep tabs on everyone all the time.**

**Sensors are ninja who are particularly skilled at detecting chakra signatures at long ranges, up to a mile on average. It's a very rare skill, and highly valued by all villages. I distinguish "signatures" from "usage" here, since most ninja are expected to be able to detect the use of ninjutsu without having to physically see it. An example of this would be Tsunade, Shizune, and Kushina detecting the ongoing battle while still in the hospital room. Lots of chakra being actively thrown around, so lots of "noise" for them to pick up on. **

**Think of it as someone sensing a lightning strike before it actually occurs (sensor) vs. someone hearing the clap of thunder afterward (normal).**

**Revised: 10/06/2012 - removed reference to "Uzumaki" - thanks to levi ichimaru for pointing it out  
**

**Revised: 08/31/2011 - typos and grammar  
**


	10. The Last Straw

-October 28th, 339 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Fugaku's Private Office-

"What do you mean they graduated early?" Fugaku snarled.

"Both Madoka and Takao Kurama successfully passed the graduation test two years early, and have already passed the second genin test with their squads. With Tetsuya Kurama's reactivation, the Kurama clan now have–"

"I know, dammit! Those pathetic little upstarts think they deserve to be a permanent clan on the Council," Fugaku sneered. His expression soon turned pensive. As things stood the Kurama would get their seat, and they would certainly not be voting Fugaku's way.

This wasn't the first setback he'd suffered recently, either. The Ogawa clan had been making waves in Konoha this past year. They were a relatively new ninja clan with strong civilian roots that had proven to be very effective in the field. Their connections with civilian council members were strong enough to secure one of the temporary seats despite Fugaku's wishes, and they too held no love for the Uchiha.

The Ogawa seat Fugaku had let slide, if reluctantly. Even if it made completely dominating the Council less likely, he would still have the simple majority he needed to secure his election as Hokage. But the loss of another seat to the Kurama changed things considerably.

Without that vote, he would only have the ten civilian votes and, perhaps, a single seat on the ninja side. The ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and the other eight ninja seats would all certainly vote against him. The risk that he could lose the vote of the last remaining temporary seat or one of the civilian votes was far too high now that his advantage had dwindled to a single vote. Barely a month remained before the five year term ended and now, when he was so close to securing his ambition, everything was beginning to slip away from him.

The Uchiha who had delivered the message wisely withdrew as Fugaku began to leak killing intent, shutting the door behind him. That was fortunate, as Fugaku would not have appreciated any witnesses to the tantrum he indulged in shortly thereafter.

Several minutes later Fugaku collapsed in his chair, still fuming. The Kurama clan specialized in genjutsu, and with the sharingan's ability to detect such illusions the Kurama's strongest power was absolutely useless. Fugaku by himself could probably take on most of their so-called ninja without even breaking a sweat. Even idiots like Yuudai and Shinji could take out any of the Kurama at their leisure. The Kurama only just met the requirements to become a permanent clan anyway; if even one of their ninja retired or–

Fugaku suddenly shot to his feet. The answer was so simple and obvious, it surprised him that it took this long to come up with it. It was also illegal and even treasonous, but that sort of thing had long ago ceased to matter to him. In his mind he already considered himself the next Hokage, and the Hokage often had to make difficult sacrifices for the good of the village.

What did it matter if one insignificant genin died in an unfortunate training accident, compared to the prosperity he would bring to the village once he was Hokage?

It didn't matter at all.

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Uchiha Training Grounds-

Sasuke threw another punch at the log post that was sticking up out of the ground. His small fist and the meager power he could muster did not make the satisfying _thunk _the older ninja produced, but he persisted anyway. Itachi-nii-san trained like this, so he would too. Another ten punches and he would run another lap around the training field. His mother would be calling him home in thirty minutes, and he wanted to get as much training as possible in while he had the time.

He wanted to impress Itachi with his progress when his older brother returned from his latest mission. Sasuke always got a warm glow of satisfaction when his mother and older brother praised his efforts, even if his progress paled before Itachi's own.

He had also heard the other ninja children had started their own training regimens shortly after _that _incident, and he wanted to keep up with them as well. He wasn't certain if he could call them friends when he only saw them once or twice a month, but he always enjoyed the time he spent with them. No one ever compared him to Itachi then, and even Naruto, acknowledged by one and all as the strongest of their group, never made him feel weak or unwanted. They didn't care that he had yet to awaken his own sharingan.

Thoughts of gaining his sharingan brought his brother's words to mind – "_the sharingan is a tool, nothing more. It is the ninja that makes it dangerous… or not."_

His father said something else entirely though, constantly reminding Sasuke that "_it is the sharingan that sets the Uchiha above all other ninja. An U__chiha without a sharingan is barely an Uchiha at all." _Even as young as he was, Sasuke understood the underlying message – if he wanted his father's acknowledgment, he would have to awaken his own sharingan as Itachi had.

His mother said nothing on the matter.

Sasuke wasn't sure what he himself thought, but he knew that whoever was right, activating his sharingan would make him stronger. Maybe then he could finally move closer to Itachi's level. Maybe then people would praise him as they praised Itachi and Naruto.

Maybe then his father would look at him.

* * *

-Same Day-

-9:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"What is so important that you had to bring me back to work, Dragon? I'd actually managed to catch up on my paperwork early, and was hoping to spend some time with my grandson," the Hokage said, visibly annoyed.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama, but the ANBU squads watching over the Uchiha Compound reported some suspicious activity, and given the nature of that activity I thought it best to inform you immediately," Dragon said, bowing.

The Hokage sighed, but settled into his chair. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Around six this evening, Katsuro Uchiha, who as you know is Fugaku's newest black ops ninja, was called into Fugaku's office. Shortly thereafter, he left the Uchiha Compound and observed the training sessions of Takao and Madoka Kurama. He followed them home, and spent nearly an hour observing the Kurama's security before returning to the Uchiha compound."

Sarutobi's face was a mixture of fury and disbelief. "He wouldn't," he growled.

"It appears that, in fact, he would," Dragon replied.

"I knew he had spent a lot of effort trying to lock up Council votes, but to stoop that low...," Sarutobi said.

"Even for an Uchiha, the man is despicable," Dragon spat. The ANBU surveillance on Fugaku over the last year and a half had proven most enlightening; Fugaku routinely bribed civilian councilors and took black ops jobs that did not meet the standards of village conduct set forth by the Hokage. It had actually come as a surprise, if a pleasant one, when they determined that Fugaku apparently only trusted a small subset of his clan with his personal agenda, a group that did not include his own wife.

"Do you have any idea when Katsuro will strike?"

"Other than the obvious deadline of the Council elections, no. Given Fugaku's pattern of arranging accidents for his victims, we can determine that Katsuro will most likely attempt something during a training session, although it is unknown how he plans to avoid the jounin instructor. His interest in the Kurama's security suggests he may try a more direct approach, although sabotaging the genins' equipment is also possible."

After waiting in silence for several minutes as the Hokage considered the information, Dragon volunteered an idea on how to handle the situation. "We could arrest Fugaku now," the ANBU Commander said. "We've already gathered enough evidence to prove criminal activity, even if we don't have anything to prove his more treasonous actions."

"We could, but the Uchiha would never stand for it, and the civilians would likely riot if their 'beloved' Chief of Police was taken into custody. That's why I haven't acted before now. No, we need to catch him in the act. We need to catch Katsuro alive, and get a confession out of him. With attempted murder of a fellow ninja, especially a child freshly graduated from the Academy, even the civilians will abandon Fugaku. Hopefully the other Uchiha will back down at that point, but I'm not going to play games anymore if Fugaku is ready to go this far. If the Uchiha still resist, they _will_ be taken down," Sarutobi said firmly. "I want ANBU shadowing Takao and Madoka at all times. I'll personally contact the Kurama and apprise them of the situation. Wherever and whenever Katsuro makes his move, we'll be ready."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Dragon said, bowing again. Even through the distortion of the mask, the ANBU Commander's voice carried equal measures of determination and eagerness.

* * *

-November 7th, 339 NE-

-10:45 PM-

-A Small Tavern in the Land of Water-

"They've managed to keep it quiet so far, hoping that they can find him or that he'll turn up on his own, but... the Mizukage has gone missing."

Only his strict discipline, strong nerves, and sincere desire not to waste such expensive sake kept Jiraiya from spitting his drink all over the table. "Missing? Like, missing-nin missing?"

"I don't think so. They don't seem angry about it, just worried."

"Well... shit."

"No kidding. Yagura is very popular, and the Kaguya in particular are not going to take it kindly if someone assassinated him. 'Course, it's kinda scary to think that someone could actually assassinate a Kage without some huge battle going down. Just goes to show even the best can be taken down, I guess."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement, but inwardly his thoughts were heading in a very different direction. Yagura wasn't just a Kage, he was a jinchuuriki. Even if he didn't have the absurd healing Minato's kid did, he would heal faster than most and poisons would have a hard time doing anything to him. He didn't rely on his larger chakra capacity to spam ninjutsu, either; Yagura was a taijutsu specialist and an absolute nightmare with that hooked staff of his. If anything ninjutsu was his backup skill.

Basically, there wasn't a chance in hell someone took him out without a fight.

"Anything else?" Jiraiya asked, already fishing around in his pockets for some coins to pay for the sake... and the information.

"Hmm... some more freelance ninja groups have started cropping up lately."

"What, like the Sword and Hammer you never shut up about?"

"Hey, those guys kick ass! Did you hear what they did over in the Land of Grass?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Doesn't change the fact that they're probably missing-nin from _somewhere_. Anyway, what about the new groups?"

"Well, there's the music note guys. They wear headbands like official ninja, and I think they're trying to start up their own village. They're still small fry right now, but I hear they're willing to take the jobs most ninja won't touch. They mostly operate near the Land of Hot Water."

"Ah... I remember those hot springs... and the ladies in them...," Jiraiya said, a lecherous grin crossing his face.

"Speaking of, when's your next book coming out?"

"Hey, you can't rush genius! It takes a lot of careful research to craft such perfect works of art!" Jiraiya said indignantly. "And that info is useless, I already heard about them six months ago."

"W-wait, they're not the only ones! There's these guys in black cloaks with red clouds on them that have been popping up everywhere. They were looking around the Land of Water two weeks ago! Don't try to tell me you've heard about that before!"

Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully. He had heard of them, but nothing as fresh as that. He'd started getting reports of them through his network nearly two years ago, but the information was often months old by the time it reached him.

"You got descriptions? Did they take any jobs?" Jiraiya pressed.

His informant shifted uncomfortably. "... No. The cloaks and the straw hats was all anyone could say. They just wander around for a bit, then leave."

"Then why are you so certain they're ninja?"

"Because they scare the shit out of everyone without even trying, that's why."

Dammit. That's the same thing everyone else said. So far these guys had been spotted in nine different countries, but they had yet to actually _do _anything – and yet everyone took note of them and reported it. No names, no descriptions, no jobs taken, nothing. There really wasn't anything to report, and normally he wouldn't even waste his time with information that vague.

So why did he get the feeling it was so important?

* * *

-November 15th, 339 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was red-faced and sweaty and her clothes were covered in dirt and leaves, but she paid her disheveled state no mind. She was focused on her current task, slowly but surely inching her way up a tree in her backyard using only her feet. The chakra exercise was incredibly difficult for her, but she persevered and was slowly but steadily making progress.

Naruto was sitting on the ground nearby, surrounded by odd bits of black debris. He held a leaf on the back of his hand, and his brow was furrowed in concentration. After several seconds, he slowly turned his hand over so that the leaf and the back of his hand were facing the ground. Almost instantly the leaf caught fire, and he muttered a curse as the newest lump of ash settled onto the ground. He snatched up another leaf and began again.

Ino's control slipped and she landed on the ground with a loud thump. She stood up with a small groan and rubbed her rear, muttering under her breath.

"You better not let Kaa-san catch you saying that," Naruto said distractedly.

"Yeah yeah," Ino replied. She eyed the tree for a moment, but decided to take a break; her reserves were running a little low anyway. She plopped down next to Naruto, not caring that she landed on several burnt leaves. "How's it goin', little brother?"

Naruto growled, a surprisingly animalistic sound issuing from his throat. "It's not."

Ino leaned over and patted him on the head, rubbing her hand through his hair and messing it up even more than it already was. "Even geniuses can't be great at everything. Besides, I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

Naruto gave her a sour look before he turned his attention back to his newest leaf. Another few seconds and a fresh lump of ash hit the ground. "I take it you had similar problems with spontaneously combusting foliage?"

Ino stuck her tongue out at him then sat back, leaning on her hands. "No, but I don't have the chakra reserves of a jounin either. Why don't you try something a little bigger or heavier? Or at least something less likely to catch on fire?" Ino suggested.

Naruto shrugged. "Shizune-nee-chan insists that I use leaves. She says using something heavy won't teach me the same skills using a leaf will."

Ino pouted. She knew it was silly, but she still felt a little jealous whenever Naruto talked about Shizune. Naruto's borderline obsession with becoming a med-nin complemented Ino's own decision to follow her father's path in mind-healing, but she felt sometimes like she was competing with the med-nin for Naruto's attention. It felt terribly selfish of her after everything Naruto had done for her and she made sure to squash those instincts whenever they rose up, but the feeling was still there.

"Well, why don't you try something in the middle then?" It had seemed like an obvious suggestion to her, even if she mostly offered it out of a desire to prove Shizune wrong, but Naruto's dumbstruck expression seemed to indicate otherwise.

Kuushou's troubles with human chakra control stemmed from the inescapable fact that, despite the body he currently occupied, he was not human. His youki was the dominant force within the body, both in quantity and quality. Whenever he tried even this simplest of exercises, his youki would completely overwhelm the human chakra and produce unpredictable and often destructive results.

He was currently attempting to completely isolate the human chakra from his youki and use only human chakra in the exercise, but that was proving nigh impossible. Always before he had simply surrounded the human chakra with his youki and essentially carried it wherever it needed to go. Despite his presence in the body, he only had the most tenuous of connections with the chakra it contained. He could feel it, and even move it about as it were his own youki to a limited extent, but once it was completely isolated from his youki it became dormant again.

Thus his current situation: if he used youki, the leaf burned; if he used just chakra, nothing happened.

But hearing Ino's suggestion had given him an idea for an entirely different approach, and he wondered why it had never occurred to him before. Rather than surrounding the chakra with youki, what if he attempted to blend the two energies together? A small amount of youki mixed into the chakra would theoretically increase the potency only slightly but still allow him to control it, if not nearly as well as pure youki. From there the control exercise, and eventually the incredible variety of human techniques, should be well within his reach.

He dropped the leaf he was holding and brought his hands together in front of him, concentrating on the two different energies his body contained. Ino looked confused, but recognized the expression on his face and sat back, allowing him to think.

Nearly a minute passed before a small bit of energy leaked out between his hands. It formed a rough sphere, wobbling to and fro and barely maintaining its shape. More important than the shape, though, was the color; instead of the expected blue chakra, the energy had a clear purple tinge to it. Even as Ino leaned forward to look closer the energy dissipated, but the way Naruto laughed told her that he was happy with that result. He jumped to his feet and pulled Ino into a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are absolutely brilliant, Ino-nee-chan," Naruto exclaimed.

Ino had no idea what she had said that was so brilliant, but she wasn't about to turn down the praise, nor was she about to dismiss the incredibly satisfying knowledge that she had helped her little brother where Shizune had failed.

* * *

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-1:30 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Katsuro is preparing to make his move, Hokage-sama. Takao Kurama's team is scheduled for full contact weapons practice this afternoon, and Katsuro has acquired a sharpened sword disguised to appear dull for Takao's opponent. He has also acquired a deadly poison and treated the blade. In addition, he has acquired several similarly disguised and poisoned kunai, apparently as a backup plan," Dragon reported.

"Not exactly subtle, is he? Still, it would be virtually impossible to trace this back to the Uchiha if he was successful," the Hokage mused. "Very well, I want Katsuro taken into custody as soon as he makes the switch and taken to T&I. Once we get enough evidence, we'll arrest Fugaku. We'll need to move quickly to make sure Fugaku doesn't have time to prepare. If we can catch him off guard, we may be able to take him in without a fight."

"And if he is prepared?" Dragon asked.

The Hokage's face became grim. "Then bloodshed may be unavoidable. If it comes to that, we may require some additional support; your brother, for instance."

Dragon nodded. "He would be most eager to take part in this. He always complains that I get to have all the fun, and nothing would make him happier than to take down Fugaku personally."

The Hokage snorted. "No doubt."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:00 PM-

-Hyuuga Compound, Main House Training Area-

"Again," Hiashi Hyuuga barked.

Hinata slowly picked herself up off the mat and settled back into the stance for her family's famed and feared fighting style, the Jyuuken, or Gentle Fist. Her feet slid apart, her right foot forward and her left back, while her hands mirrored her feet with her left hand forward in a guarding position and her right hand tucked close to her body.

Hinata was currently wearing a thin blue shirt and loose black pants tied off with a white belt. She had several bruises already forming on her exposed arms, and the occasional wince as she moved showed she had similar injuries elsewhere. Her indigo hair hung loosely down to shoulder level, swaying slightly whenever she turned her head. Her pale lavender eyes were currently narrowed in determination.

Hiashi examined her form for a long moment, then nodded in satisfaction. "Begin," he said.

Hinata launched herself forward, her hands moving quickly and firmly as she dueled with her fellow student. Her opponent, her cousin Neji, was wearing an ivory shirt and matching shorts, and his hair, actually longer than Hinata's, was gathered into a pony tail that mimicked Hiashi's own style. He had far fewer bruises than Hinata, though he had not come out of their clashes unscathed. He was also wearing a bandanna around his head, and was the only person in the room with his forehead covered.

Neji's stance matched his cousin's as their hands flashed through the space between them, diverting or blocking each other's strikes as they battled. He slowly began to advance, forcing Hinata to retreat in order to maintain the distance between them. As her stance shifted Neji suddenly darted to her weak side and struck, his hands blurring. It appeared for a moment as if he had won yet another bout before Hinata bent sideways, allowing Neji's hands to pass harmlessly above her as her own hands lashed out, touching several points on his chest.

She was unable to maintain her position for long, however, as she lost balance and fell the rest of the way to the floor with a light thud, panting. Neji did not follow up on this opening, instead retreating several feet and settling back into his stance, similarly breathless.

"Enough," Hiashi barked again, and strode onto the mat towards his two students.

Neji relaxed out of his stance and moved to stand next to Hinata, looking down at her panting form. After a moment, he thrust out his hand. Hinata reached up and took it with her own, and Neji pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you, Neji-nii-san," Hinata said, slowly regaining control of her breathing.

"Of course, Hinata-sama," Neji said, smiling. "You have improved remarkably in the last month. You would have completely disabled me in that last exchange."

Hinata blushed slightly, but nodded.

They both turned to face Hiashi as he knelt on the mat next to them, motioning for them to join him. Once they had settled into place, feet tucked under their bodies, backs straight and heads held high, he nodded firmly.

"What did you do wrong in that last exchange?" he began.

Neji spoke first. "I overextended on my strike, leaving myself open to a counterattack. My feet were also out of position, slowing my recovery time and preventing me from pivoting away from Hinata's attack," Neji said calmly.

Hiashi smiled, pleased with Neji's response. "Correct. You were too eager to strike at the opening and did not position yourself properly before attacking. At your current level of skill and experience, you should never sacrifice mobility to strike at an opponent. As you just saw, even with one opponent it can lead to your downfall and against multiple opponents it is an even worse mistake."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama," Neji replied, bowing his head as he absorbed the advice. He was used to this post-training discussion and no longer had issues critiquing himself or accepting the advice that followed. He had seen for himself in the year since he began training that he improved far faster when he listened.

Hiashi then turned to face Hinata expectantly. She blushed again, still unused to this sort of attention, especially when she was expected to criticize herself. After a moment, she offered her own hesitant analysis. "Um… I didn't recover properly when I dodged, and fell?" she offered.

Hiashi sighed softly, and relaxed his expression a little. "It should not be a question, Hinata," he corrected. "Still, you are correct. Like Neji, you focused too much on offense and not enough on proper defensive positioning. It worked out in this instance, as your strikes would have disabled Neji, but you left yourself open to attack if you had failed or if other ninja were present during the battle."

Hinata shrunk into herself slightly, but nodded in acknowledgment of his words. Hiashi was actually impressed; despite her relative lack of confidence compared to Neji, this response was much better than what had happened at the end of their first training session: when Hiashi had slowly coaxed her into finding something wrong about her own performance and then further explained what she had done wrong and why, she had ended up bursting into tears and running from the dojo.

Hisana had ended up giving him a piece of her mind later that day, though his wife did understand what he was trying to do. She had also worked with Hinata over the last month, providing an outlet for Hinata's frustrations that complemented Hiashi's more stern approach. Hisana had also talked him into adjusting his own approach to these post-training discussions, and even Neji seemed happier with the new way of doing things.

"As you are both having difficulty on defense, I think our next session will focus on that. That said, you have both done very well in your training so far.

"Neji, your speed has continued to improve steadily, and your stance is generally very stable. The strength behind your blows is also very promising; with time I think you will be able to penetrate your opponent's guard even during a frontal assault, which will serve you very well once you begin learning the Eight Trigrams.

"Hinata, your speed is also improving steadily, and your flexibility is already impressive. If you focus on that, you will be able to easily slip around your opponent's guard and strike at vital points effortlessly. As your footwork improves, I think your mother will have some very interesting techniques to teach you," Hiashi said, smiling encouragingly.

He spotted Hizashi lingering near the entrance to the dojo, and dismissed his two students for the day. Neji enthusiastically greeted his father, but was soon sent on his way as the two brothers had important business to discuss.

"It's happening today," Hizashi told his twin without preamble as the two began to walk through the Hyuuga compound. They were both currently wearing the same outfit; the only difference between them was the headband that covered Hizashi's forehead while Hiashi's was left bare.

Hiashi's face grew tense at the news. "When?"

"Within the hour. ANBU have requested support from the other clans in case Fugaku intends to resist. The Hokage hopes a show of force will deter him and we can get through this without bloodshed."

"And what does our ANBU Commander think?"

Hizashi snorted. "Not a chance in hell. Fugaku won't go down without a fight, even if he was alone; and knowing him, he won't be. I'm just glad Itachi is out on a mission right now."

"Really? I didn't think he was powerful enough to pose that sort of threat," Hiashi said quietly.

"He's not… yet. He'd do a lot of good in ANBU though, and things will go a lot smoother for him if he doesn't get caught up in this mess. By the time he gets back everything will be settled one way or another. Mikoto appears clean, and the majority of the Uchiha have no part in Fugaku's madness, so there's hope that with Fugaku out of the way things will settle down quick enough."

"You know the Kurama aren't going to be satisfied with Fugaku's head alone. They've got a serious bone to pick with the Uchiha."

"That's for the Hokage and the Council to figure out."

"You're on the Council, idiot," Hiashi said, amused.

"Yeah, well… shut up, brother," Hizashi responded petulantly.

They shared a quick laugh but their faces gradually grew grim as they mentally prepared themselves for the coming conflict. Turning to face one another, they clasped forearms and pulled each other into a brotherly embrace.

"Be safe," they said, and parted ways.

* * *

-2:30 PM-

-Hokage's Personal Training Grounds-

Sarutobi surveyed the ninja who were currently preparing themselves to battle Fugaku Uchiha and any of his clan who supported him. Most of them hoped that their preparations would prove unnecessary, but none of them really believed Fugaku would allow himself to be arrested. The best case scenario would be that Fugaku was quickly immobilized and that none of his clan fought against the arrest.

To one side nearly half of his entire ANBU force stood prepared, their masks the only feature distinguishing them from one another. Those who specialized in weapons or used other tools kept them hidden within their cloaks to avoid giving away any information to potential enemies. This gathering of such an elite force, comprised of some of the most powerful and experienced shinobi in all of Konoha, made for an intimidating sight. Dragon was moving through the group, making sure each squad knew their assigned roles and were prepared.

Shizune stood near the ANBU, she and her personal team of med-nin loaded down with medical supplies. They would not be involved in any fighting, but would be doing their best to make sure no one died, on either side.

Scattered around the clearing were representatives from the other clans of Konoha.

Hiashi Hyuuga had brought eight members from his clan in addition to himself; their Gentle Fist techniques would be invaluable in taking down opponents without killing them. The Hyuuga's long-standing rivalry with the Uchiha had turned bitter in recent years, and all of the Hyuuga appeared eager to commence with the mission.

Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Chouza Akimichi stood together, conversing quietly. Three other members of the Nara clan stood nearby, but Inoichi and Chouza were the only members of their clans present. That was understandable; while the Nara's shadow techniques were even more effective than the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist at capturing opponents, the Yamanaka and Akimichi skills tended to be more dangerous and deadly, and very few in Inoichi's clan had the skill to utilize the mind transfer jutsu in the midst of battle. The infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio had honed their teamwork to an incredible level and were considered one of the most effective strike teams in Konoha's history, but their fellow clan members had been unable to replicate their clan heads' success.

Shibi Aburame had brought five members from his clan, and the way their identical outfits of high-collared trenchcoats and sunglasses hid nearly their entire bodies was as disconcerting in its own way as the appearance of the ANBU. The Aburame would be placed with the ambush teams – in open battle the Uchiha's fire techniques would render the Aburame's insect-based jutsu highly ineffective.

Tsume Inuzuka and her partner Kuromaru rounded out the collection of clan heads, accompanied by four members from her clan and their own canine partners. She had a slightly sour look on her face. Tsume had not been pleased when told that her clan would be held in reserve in case the battle went badly or any Uchiha attempted to flee. Sarutobi had held firm on this point though; even the weakest of the Inuzuka's jutsu tended to do serious damage to their targets, and he still wanted to preserve as many lives as possible. That Tsume and her clan valued loyalty as highly as the Aburame valued honor also meant that the Inuzuka would "accidentally" go too far and end up killing opponents they might have incapacitated or disabled.

The Kurama clan had wanted to take part as well – literally every active shinobi ranked chuunin or higher from the clan had volunteered. Sarutobi knew their presence would practically guarantee a fight, however, and he wasn't certain whether it would be the Kurama or the Uchiha that would strike the first blow. They had finally relented when the Hokage promised to strip the rank from any Kurama ninja who interfered with Fugaku's arrest, the threat of losing their chance at a permanent seat on the Council sufficing to curb their bloodlust.

Satisfied that all ninja involved in the operation were present, the Hokage flared his chakra, drawing the attention of the other ninja in the clearing. "Everyone understands their roles in the operation, I trust?" A chorus of affirmatives rang out, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well. Move out," he said, and vanished in a shunshin. The other ninja followed quickly, and within seconds the clearing was completely empty.

* * *

**A/N: Things have finally come to a head, and we get another example of Sarutobi's change.**

**In canon Sarutobi kept negotiating and negotiating, apparently to no avail, until Danzo, Homura, and Koharu went behind his back and ordered Itachi to massacre his entire clan. Supposedly they did this because the Uchiha were on the verge of open rebellion and Sarutobi wasn't doing anything to prepare for that. Here Sarutobi has given Fugaku plenty of rope to hang himself with, and now the noose is tightening.  
**

**In this story the Uchiha were never suspected of controlling the Kyuubi and thus the lingering resentment and suspicion that "pushed them into a corner" is not present.**

**We finally get a bit of PoV for other ninja children - Hinata and Neji in particular are rather different than in canon, thanks to the changes in the Kumo Incident.**


	11. A House Divided

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-2:45 PM-

-Uchiha District-

The Uchiha clan head's home was located on one side of a large open area that served as the traditional gathering place for clan events. The home also had a great deal of space on either side and behind as well, serving to isolate it from the other buildings in the area. Madara Uchiha had originally designed it this way to emphasize the status and importance of the clan head, but it would prove very useful to the Hokage and his ninja on this day.

With so much empty space to work with, the various squads were able to completely surround the house while still leaving themselves ample room to maneuver. The ANBU squads were already establishing a secure perimeter to prevent anyone from approaching or leaving the house undetected, and the Hyuuga were putting their byakugan to good use as they scanned the area. The Hyuuga carefully monitored the location of any Uchiha, ready to intercept them or warn the other ninja of potential resistance.

The Hokage himself, accompanied by his ANBU Commander, approached Fugaku's home. Rather than simply breaking in, however, he kept things civil for the moment and knocked on the door. Dragon had already confirmed that Mikoto and Sasuke were currently within the house, and Sarutobi wanted to avoid getting them caught up in the conflict if at all possible.

Shortly after his knock, Mikoto answered the door, a pleasant smile on her face. Her smile quickly faded as she took in the Hokage's grim expression and the ninja prepared for battle surrounding her house. She couldn't see all of them, but what she could see told her everything she needed to know.

"It's come to this, has it?" she asked quietly, her expression more resigned than surprised.

The Hokage nodded, a sad smile on his face. "It's a nice day out. I think Sasuke would enjoy spending some time in the park, don't you?"

She smiled gratefully, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. "Thank you, Hokage-sama," she said, and stepped back to allow the two ninja to enter. Dragon kept careful watch for any reaction from the ninja currently gathered in Fugaku's office, but so far they did not appear to be aware of the events occurring outside the room.

Mikoto gathered up Sasuke and quickly left the house, shushing his questions as they passed the Hokage and the ANBU Commander. The ninja gathered outside allowed her to leave, already aware that she was not one of the targets they were supposed to capture.

Sarutobi turned to Dragon, an expectant look on his face. Dragon nodded and began his report. "Hokage-sama, there are four ninja in the office with Fugaku, all jounin. In addition, there are some suspicious chakra patterns on the walls and floor of his office that I believe to be seals, most likely traps of some sort. It would be unwise to approach him directly," Dragon said.

"Hmm… do you have any suggestions?" Sarutobi asked quietly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

After listening to his ANBU Commander's plan, the Hokage thought for a few moments before nodding in agreement.

"Very well, we shall do this your way."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:55 PM-

-Inside Fugaku's Office-

"Once Katsuro reports back, I want you four to accompany him on another mission," Fugaku said, a smirk on his face. "The head of the Ogawa clan is currently traveling to Otafuku Gai, and I want you to make sure he never makes it back."

If the other ninja in the room had any concerns about the nature of the mission given to them, they did not voice them. They all just nodded in acceptance, and waited for their leader to dismiss them or give them further instructions.

"While you are there, I also want you to-," Fugaku continued, but was interrupted by another knock at the door.

"What is it, Mikoto?" Fugaku snapped.

The door opened, and Fugaku was shocked to see the Hokage and the ANBU Commander walk into the room. The Hokage had a pleasant smile on his face, but his eyes were furious. Dragon's hands were hidden under his cloak, but Fugaku got the impression that the ANBU Commander was already holding weapons.

"Hello Fugaku," the Hokage said.

"H-Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Fugaku said, taking a moment to recover his equilibrium. The Uchiha ninja in the room shifted uneasily, unsure whether they should remain in the office or leave. Fugaku discreetly motioned them to move to his side of the room, and they slowly began walking in that direction.

The Hokage just watched silently for a moment, waiting until all the Uchiha in the room were gathered behind Fugaku's desk. Sarutobi glanced at Dragon and inclined his head slightly, then looked back to Fugaku again.

"There is nothing pleasurable about this visit, Fugaku," the Hokage said, the smile fading from his face. "Katsuro has been taken into custody and already confessed as to what his orders were, and who gave them. It's over. Things will go much better for you and your clan if you surrender peacefully."

Fugaku considered playing dumb for a moment, but quickly discarded the idea. There was no use trying to bluff the Hokage; Sarutobi was far too careful to make a move like this without making sure all his kunai were sharp and ready. It was unfortunate for the Hokage that he'd chosen to have the confrontation here, however.

Fugaku laughed, and leaned back in his chair. "You know, Hiruzen," he began conversationally, addressing the Hokage by name and intentionally leaving off the honorific, "I've wondered for a long time which of us was the better ninja. I admit that even now I am not as powerful as you were in your prime – I don't think anyone, even Minato, could truly measure up to the 'God of Shinobi'. But you are old, Hiruzen, and you've grown weak." Fugaku watched the Hokage's face for any reaction, but he didn't so much as twitch at the provocation.

Shrugging slightly, he continued. "Even in that first meeting after the tailed beast's attack, where you and Kensuke railroaded the Council into appointing you as Hokage, I could have beaten you. Even then, I could have prevented you from becoming Hokage again. I _let _you win, out of respect for what you had done for Konoha. I _let _you hold onto my title for a little longer, so you could die in peace and I would ascend uncontested.

"But it seems you are going to throw my generosity back into my face," Fugaku said. He stood slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his clothing and straightening his vest. "Very well, if this is the way it must be, then so be it."

He laid one hand upon his desk, and channeled chakra into the security seal hidden there. A barrier snapped into place that divided the room. In the moments it took the explosive seals lining the room to activate, he locked eyes with Sarutobi one last time, a mocking grin in his face.

"Farewell, old fool."

A massive explosion rocked the room, and the barrier nearly collapsed as it withstood the force of the blast. As the dust settled revealing gaping holes in the walls where the explosion had sent shrapnel and debris flying throughout the house, Fugaku remembered that Mikoto and Sasuke had been home. It didn't matter, he assured himself, ignoring the small pang of regret; Itachi was safely away on a mission, so the Uchiha legacy was secure.

Fugaku smiled as he waited for the dust to clear so he could observe the Hokage's remains for himself. He also wanted to pull the mask from the ANBU Commander, assuming his head was still intact – he'd always wondered who Dragon was.

He frowned when he noticed that there was no blood, and began to panic when he realized there were no signs that either the Hokage or Dragon had ever been there at all. What happened? Where were they? How could they have-

His face paled as he realized what had happened. The Hokage and Dragon had sent in shadow clones rather than entering themselves, and he had wasted his best chance to kill the Hokage on an empty shell. Cursing, he began running towards the front door of his house, the other Uchiha ninja following closely behind. He needed to gather reinforcements and rally his clan before-

Before this happened, he thought ruefully, staring out at the assembled ninja. Every face he could see was glaring at him in hatred or disgust, with the Hokage standing front and center. Beyond the perimeter of ANBU he could see his clan gathering, undoubtedly drawn by the explosion. Well, if he could delay a little longer, enough of his clan would be present to even the odds. Even the weakest Uchiha would be more than sufficient to take on the ninja gathered here.

He also saw that most of the clan heads were present. Good. Killing them would disrupt the other ninja enough for the Uchiha to seize control. All he needed was a little time.

* * *

Sarutobi watched as Fugaku looked around the area, taking in the many ninja who had gathered to bring him into custody. Fugaku's face twisted into a snarl as he realized he was outnumbered, though it quickly settled back into a neutral expression. Fugaku then fell into a defensive stance, as if daring anyone to attack him.

"Give it up, Fugaku. This is your last chance to surrender peacefully. If you continue to resist, I will put you down personally; then we'll see how much this 'old fool's' skills have dulled over the years," Sarutobi said, his eyes hard. The other ninja readied their own weapons or set their hands into the initial hand-sign of their favored jutsu, ready to unleash their techniques at a moment's notice.

Fugaku did not respond, instead slowly sweeping his gaze around him. Sarutobi waited for nearly a minute, but it seemed Fugaku intended to resist until the bitter end. Just as the Hokage readied himself to attack, Fugaku's voice rang out.

"Uchiha!" he cried, his voice amplified by a simple sound jutsu. "Hear me! The Hokage and the other clans have grown jealous of our power, and are trying to destroy our clan once and for all! It is the Uchiha who have carried this village through countless dangers, it is the Uchiha who have sacrificed to keep the village alive, and it is the Uchiha who should be ruling Konoha! These usurpers seek to cast us down from our rightful place! Are we going to allow this to continue?"

The Hokage hesitated, watching the reactions of the assembled Uchiha out of the corner of his eye; if he attacked now, the entire clan would likely support their leader, and this would turn into a bloodbath on both sides. Before he could raise his own voice to refute Fugaku's words, however, the Uchiha clan head called out again.

"If you be a true Uchiha, then you will stand with your clan! And strike now!" So saying, Fugaku activated his sharingan, his eyes turning blood red and the three tomoe that marked a fully matured sharingan spinning madly. The other Uchiha who accompanied him, and quite a few from the Uchiha gathering outside the perimeter, activated their own sharingan. As one, they struck, and the battle began.

Their first wave of attacks were mostly genjutsu-based, as those capable of using their sharingan in this manner did so. The ninja accompanying the Hokage were caught off guard by the abrupt start of the battle and several fell victim to the illusion techniques.

The more experienced among the Uchiha had chosen the form of their illusion for simplicity and maximum effectiveness, and these proved to be the most devastating for the Hokage's ninja. To them it appeared as though all of their companions had transformed into Uchiha ninja, and even as they began breaking the illusion they reflexively sprung apart, trying to gain distance from the potential attackers. The most dangerous illusions were always those that had a grain of truth, after all, and it was possible that the Uchiha truly were among them. The illusions were dispelled within seconds, but not before several ninja had been hit with kunai or ninjutsu.

The perimeter collapsed into a chaotic mess. The Uchiha who supported Fugaku charged forward or began to unleash ninjutsu against their opponents, while other Uchiha who wanted no part of the battle began to flee.

The Hokage himself stood his ground. He had avoided making direct eye contact with Fugaku from the beginning, as he had ample experience fighting Uchiha and knew that the most basic tenet of battling an Uchiha was to never look them in the eye. He had tried to impress this information on the other ninja, but it seemed not all of them had taken the lesson to heart.

"You have doomed your clan, Fugaku," the Hokage said. He reached up and mockingly adjusted the hat that functioned as a symbol of the Hokage's office. "It seems that you are going to throw my generosity back into my face. Very well, if this is how it must be, then so be it," the Hokage taunted, a smirk on his face.

Fugaku snarled. "I will kill you myself, Sarutobi, and take _my_ hat from your bloody corpse." With that, he charged forward, hands moving rapidly as he prepared a ninjutsu to attack.

* * *

Shibi Aburame watched from the shadow of an alley as the cloud of insects descended upon another Uchiha, swiftly draining all the available chakra from the ninja. While he had avoided exposure to the genjutsu, the confusion that had descended upon the battlefield meant that it was unclear which Uchiha were hostile and which bystanders. The group had been prepared for this eventuality though, and his standing orders were to incapacitate and detain any Uchiha who remained on the battlefield. Once his insects completely drained the Uchiha they returned to his body, and he melted back into the shadows to search for his next target.

Shibi suddenly leaped backwards, avoiding the large fireball that impacted the ground where he had stood a moment earlier. Looking up, he saw an Uchiha ninja sneering down at him from the roof of a nearby building, sharingan activated and spinning.

"One of the bug-users," the ninja sneered. "I know how to deal with your type." The ninja flashed through a quick series of hand seals and drew in a deep breath before unleashing another fireball. He laughed darkly when the fireball engulfed Shibi's form. "Pathetic."

Shibi appeared behind the ninja and with a few rapid punches rendered him unconscious. As his insects flowed out of his trenchcoat to consume whatever remaining chakra the Uchiha had, he sighed.

The Uchiha had attempted to use the Grand Fireball technique against an enemy who had already proven he could dodge it. Worse, the sharingan's abilities all relied on having a direct line-of-sight to the enemy, and by using the Grand Fireball the ninja had effectively blocked his own vision and rendered his prized sharingan meaningless. Even aside from those problems, Shibi was much faster than his Uchiha opponent yet the Uchiha had not even attempted to dodge or follow up on his own attack; it was like it never even occurred to him that he could miss.

"Yes, you are," Shibi told the unconscious Uchiha, then moved off to find his next opponent.

* * *

The battle was not going nearly so smoothly for Shikaku, as he was facing two of the more experienced Uchiha. Both of his opponents were staying in the open and keeping their distance, preventing him from using any of his shadow-based jutsu. They were also keeping him on his toes as they tossed low-powered but highly accurate bursts of flame all around him, steering him away from any shadows.

He responded by flinging kunai at them, but the projectiles were avoided as the Uchiha easily tracked the weapons and moved around them. He considered attempting jutsu of his own, but knew it would just be a waste of chakra under these circumstances.

Shikaku cursed when he noticed a third Uchiha approaching, apparently intending to support the other two. He had successfully kept two Uchiha occupied with minimal effort, but a third would alter the odds too heavily against him. He prepared to break away from the fight to gain some ground and potentially lure the Uchiha into a trap, or at least link up with reinforcements of his own, but suddenly grinned when the new arrival lashed out and caught one of his attackers on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

The other Uchiha was shocked by this apparent betrayal and let his focus lapse, which Shikaku quickly capitalized on as he blurred forward. Once he was in range, his shadow lanced out and connected with the Uchiha's own, freezing the ninja in place. A quick Strangling Shadow jutsu later, and both of his opponents were neutralized.

"Man these eyes are weird," the new arrival said, rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly.

"Thanks for the help, Ichi," Shikaku said lazily. "How long have you got left?"

"A minute tops, my chakra is draining like crazy with these eyes active and I can't shut them off."

"Where's your body? I'll take care of this one and link up with you," Shikaku said, looking around. He spotted a few injured that the med-nin were already working on, but what caught his attention were the still forms scattered around, Uchiha and ninja from his own side among them. He had recommended that the Hokage bring only experienced jounin and ANBU on this operation – even with the Uchiha's modest numerical advantage, the skill and experience of Konoha's forces should have ensured that the overall advantage lay with them. The battle was still going in their favor, but that initial wave of genjutsu had wreaked havoc. He should have spent more time emphasizing the need to avoid eye contact. He shook himself and refocused as Inoichi answered.

"Two buildings that way, upper floor. Chouza's keeping watch for me."

"Alright… now," Shikaku said, his shadow already moving.

The possessed Uchiha barely had a moment to blink in confusion before the Strangling Shadow jutsu sent him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Yuugao Uzuki was a relatively new member of ANBU, having only joined the group a little over a year ago. She was actually surprised she had been allowed to participate in such a high-profile mission, but supposed her inclusion was due to the skill of her squad as a whole more than her own individual qualifications.

She was feeling her lack of experience clearly at the moment as she faced off against an older Uchiha jounin. She wanted to retreat, but her partner Raven had taken a kunai to the shoulder and side in the initial attack and was currently bleeding out on the ground behind her. If she left, the Uchiha would no doubt finish him off before pursuing her.

She needed to end this quickly, but had so far been unable to land a single blow against her opponent. She was keeping the Hokage's warning to never look the Uchiha in the eye in mind, but it was distracting her and slowing her reactions as she had to fight her own instincts.

The Uchiha smirked. "ANBU aren't all that impressive these days. Fugaku-sama will have to clear out the trash once he becomes Hokage."

Yuugao growled lowly and stabbed her sword forward, but the Uchiha merely leaned to the side and lashed out with his kunai, scoring a deep gash on her arm. She leapt back to gain distance but the Uchiha followed, a quick fireball forcing her to dodge to the side.

She bit back a curse; now the Uchiha stood between her and Raven. If she retreated any further, she would be unable to stop the Uchiha if he tried to attack her downed partner. She threw herself forward with a yell, blade flashing through the air.

The Uchiha lazily blocked all her strikes with a single kunai, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning. He began pressing forward again, forcing her back on the defensive as his strikes slowly but inexorably moving her blade out of position. A few more exchanges and she would be unable to block his attack in time.

"You aren't all that bad, I suppose, but you are nothing compared to-"

He suddenly let out a cry of pain and lurched forward. Yuugao didn't hesitate as her blade lashed out, first cutting through the arm holding the kunai and then snapping upwards, slicing straight through the Uchiha's throat. His eyes widened in disbelief before he collapsed.

Yuugao stared at his prone form for a long moment, panting.

"Bastard should... shut up...," she heard. Her head snapped towards Raven who was lying on the ground, one arm extended in a throwing motion. She let out a choked laugh before dashing to his side, hands glowing green.

"Good work... Cat...," Raven said softly, before he swallowed the blood pill that Yuugao shoved into his mouth. His color slowly began to improve as the pill did its work and replenished some of the blood he had lost.

"Thanks for the assist, Raven. I wouldn't have lasted much longer," Yuugao smiled, slowly calming down as she got his bleeding under control.

"Get me... healed up... and I'll call it... even. No... wait... you have to... go on a... date... with me," Raven panted out.

Yuugao barked a laugh. "We'll see," she said.

* * *

Fugaku snarled as he failed to hit the Hokage yet again. He and two of his followers were coordinating their attacks against the Hokage, sending waves of fire flying through the air and spikes of earth stabbing up from the ground, and all they had managed to do was singe his robes. The old fool was surprisingly agile and even with his eyes telling him exactly how the Hokage would move, Fugaku was unable to trap him long enough to land a solid blow.

They _had_ managed to separate the Hokage from the ANBU Commander however, with the other two Uchiha running interference to prevent Dragon from assisting the Hokage. Fugaku expected Sarutobi to worry about his isolation, but the old man just had a slight look of pity on his face as he nimbly dodged the various attacks.

The Hokage began speaking, his tone lecturing even as he continued to dodge. There was little evidence of his exertion, merely a minor pause as he drew in a breath every now and then. The Hokage's nonchalance only served to infuriate Fugaku even further.

"The sharingan is widely considered to be one of the most powerful bloodlines in the world. It's abilities are nearly unique, and completely impossible to replicate outside of other bloodlines – Konoha is often considered very fortunate to have two doujutsu bloodlines among her ranks. Unfortunately, the sharingan has many flaws, not the least of which is the arrogance it instills in those who possess it," the Hokage said.

"Shut up, you old bastard!" Fugaku snapped. He studied the ghostly image that showed him the path the Hokage would take carefully, but the stream of fire that lanced out at the Hokage merely singed his robes when it should have cut right through the old man's chest.

"The flaws innate in the sharingan are as follows; first, even though the user can predict where the target will move, that does not mean they have the ability to hit their target. If the user lacks the speed or accuracy necessary, they gain little to no benefit from the prediction. In addition, skilled and experienced opponents with a high degree of chakra control can subtly manipulate their own chakra emissions to create false images," the Hokage continued.

Fugaku paled as the Hokage's image suddenly showed him dodging simultaneously in three different directions, while shortly thereafter the actual Hokage dodged in a fourth. That old bastard had been throwing off the sharingan's predictions the entire time!

The Hokage smirked mockingly, riling Fugaku even further. "Second, the genjutsu capabilities of the sharingan require direct eye contact with the subject. Simply not looking the user in the eye will protect the opponent."

Fugaku already knew that the Hokage had been avoiding eye contact since before the battle began, but the Hokage's lecturing tone still drove another barb home. He redoubled his efforts, closing the distance and pumping chakra throughout his body to speed his movements. Maintaining the sharingan throughout the battle coupled with the numerous ninjutsu he had launched at the Hokage was beginning to take its toll, and the Hokage had yet to retaliate in any fashion. He needed to end this soon before he completely exhausted himself.

The Hokage suddenly shifted directions and closed with Fugaku even as the false images showed him dodging away. Fugaku attempted to adjust his movements to match, but the Hokage was only inches away. Even as his eyes widened he felt several blows land on his torso, each carrying the force of a sledgehammer, and he was flung backwards to land roughly on the ground. He recovered quickly and leapt to his feet as Sarutobi focused on dodging the attacks of the two other Uchiha as they attempted to capitalize on the Hokage's distraction. Fugaku smirked as he evaluated his condition; the blows had hurt, but they had done no lasting damage.

"Third, if the opponent closes in and attacks at extremely close range, they can hide the chakra emissions and movements of their limbs from the sight of the sharingan, rendering it useless. Though you are apparently unaware of the history, this is why the famed Interceptor style of the Uchiha focuses on keeping the opponent's movements restricted and maintaining a suitable distance."

Forcing himself to ignore the false images the Hokage was projecting, Fugaku was finally able to spot an opening in the Hokage's guard. He smirked cruelly as he rushed forward.

Fugaku flung a handful of kunai that finally forced the Hokage to dodge in the direction he wanted, and pulled two more from his weapons pouch. As his followers turned the ground beneath the Hokage's feet to mud and launched another earth spike that nearly impaled the Hokage, he slipped around the attack and thrust the kunai forward. His smirk grew into a full-blown grin as he felt the blade sink into the old man's stomach and heard his gasp of pain. He raised the second blade, ready to sink it into the Hokage's chest and end this battle once and for all, when the Hokage's grimace of pain suddenly turned into a cruel smirk of his own.

"Four," he coughed, and burst into smoke that obscured the Uchiha's vision.

Fugaku heard two sharp cracks even as he leapt away, trying to gain distance. He hadn't even cleared the smoke cloud when a staff struck his leg, shattering bone and causing him to spin in midair. The pain barely had time to register before the staff thrust forward and caught him in the chest, shattering ribs and slamming him into the ground. Two more swift blows shattered his right arm and left collarbone, and he could no longer hold back his scream of pain.

The smoke finally cleared, revealing an impossible sight. Sarutobi stood above him, clad in his black battle-gear and staff poised to strike yet again. The Hokage's eyes were harsh and cold, not at all like the grandfatherly persona he normally portrayed.

"Four," he said again, "the sharingan is completely useless without a line-of-sight to the opponent. Thus, the single most effective tactic in battling an Uchiha is to never let them see you in the first place."

"That's… impossible," Fugaku choked out. "Burned… coat…."

"You may be powerful, Fugaku, but you never learned not to rely solely on your eyes. You are correct that a kage bunshin will dispel shortly after it sustains any damage, and that includes the clothing as it is part of the construct. I simply removed my real coat and had my clone wear it, and that was all it took to deceive you," the Hokage said, a look of pity on his face. "And now, it is time to end this farce. You have gone too far, Fugaku, and I fear your clan will pay the price of your madness."

Fugaku laughed at the Hokage, a choking, pained sound full of derision. He managed to conquer his pain long enough to gasp out, "Fine… arrest me. Put me on trial. I will still win in the end, old fool."

The Hokage shook his head grimly. "There will be no trial, Fugaku. You had your chance, and threw it away. You will not get another."

A sudden look of panic crossed Fugaku's face, before it turned to derision once again. "You couldn't kill your monster of a student, what makes you think you can kill me?"

"And that is where you and I differ, Fugaku. I learn from my mistakes," the Hokage said, and thrust the staff down.

* * *

The fighting had already ended by the time the Hokage returned to the square in front of the clan head's house. The ANBU Commander accompanied him, having dispatched the other two Uchiha with only a minor injury to show for it. The Hokage had donned his ceremonial coat and hat once again, ignoring the scorch marks and holes for the time being.

Shikaku, as Jounin Commander, was coordinating the clean up when Sarutobi arrived.

"Report," the Hokage ordered.

Shikaku waved a lazy hand, motioning to the activity around them. "We have gained full control of the Uchiha District," he began. "There are nine Uchiha reported dead so far-"

"You can add three to that total, including Fugaku," the Hokage interrupted.

"And two more," added Dragon.

Shikaku grimaced, but nodded. "Fourteen deaths so far. Shizune-sama and her team are dealing with the injuries, and there are several in critical condition at this point. Our own forces took a hit, especially during that initial attack, with six deaths and another eleven that will need to undergo serious treatment."

The Hokage bowed his head. It was always a sad day when a Konoha ninja died, and to have lost twenty ninja with several more that may die before the day ended was a terrible blow. That the deaths were the result of Konoha ninja fighting each other made it a tragedy, as bad in its own way as the tailed beast's attack had been.

"What of the captured Uchiha?" he finally asked.

Shikaku sighed. "That's even more troublesome. Once the battle began mission parameters dictated that all Uchiha be treated as potential hostiles as long as they remained within the battle zone. Once the bloodshed started the Aburame and Hyuuga in particular got a little overzealous, and we ended up capturing, as of last reports, eighty-seven Uchiha," he grumbled.

The Hokage quickly recalled the reports on the Uchiha district from the planning session. "That's…."

"Basically every Uchiha in the district, yeah," Shikaku continued. "It's troublesome, but at this point I'm forced to recommend that we take _all_ Uchiha into custody while we sort this out. Some of the clan heads, particularly Hiashi and Tsume, were not at all pleased with how many Uchiha were willing to support Fugaku – Fugaku's little speech did its job too well. This is rapidly heading towards our worst case scenario," he finished.

Dragon spoke up next. "I concur with Shikaku-san's analysis, Hokage-sama. I can have ANBU ready to move in ten minutes; just give the word."

The Hokage sighed, and slipped his hat down so that it obscured his face as he thought. Shikaku and Dragon waited respectfully as Sarutobi considered his next move. After a few seconds, he raised the hat back up and nodded firmly.

"Shikaku, I want you to personally find Mikoto and Sasuke and escort them to my office – she should be in a park nearby. Dragon, all other Uchiha are to be immediately detained, and I want squads dispatched to meet all Uchiha currently away on missions and escort them back to Konoha effective immediately; I will supply replacement teams as needed. And Dragon, I want you to handle Itachi personally to make sure nothing goes wrong; Itachi may be the best chance we have to prevent the complete loss of the clan."

Shikaku bowed lazily then vanished in a shunshin to carry out his orders. Dragon bowed sharply, then began rounding up ANBU.

The Hokage observed the scene around him for a long moment. From his position he could see several ninja lying unmoving on the ground, small pools of blood surrounding them. Shizune was currently working desperately to save an injured Nara who had been caught by one of the Uchiha's fire techniques; even if he survived, the scars would likely remain with him for the rest of his life.

There was another med-nin tending to an Uchiha who had taken a stab wound to his chest while a Hyuuga hovered nearby, warily watching the nearly comatose Uchiha for any sign of aggression. Even from this distance the Hokage could see the obvious reluctance with which the med-nin was helping the injured Uchiha. The Hokage feared the ill will towards the Uchiha clan, even those who had not taken part in this battle, would only get worse from here. Konoha could not afford to lose even more ninja, but the situation looked grim at the moment.

"Damn you, Fugaku," the Hokage cursed again.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there's the Uchiha Rebellion in a nutshell. I didn't want to spend too much time on the rebellion itself; It's important to the development of quite a few characters, but the event itself is only tangentially related to the main plot. That said, the fallout is still to come, and will linger for quite a long time.  
**

**This is also my first large battle scene. Hopefully it turned out ok, and I would very much appreciate reviews on the flow, pacing, tension, etc.**

**I'm sure you also noticed that none of the ninja were shouting out technique names. I'm pretty sure it's established, even in canon, that saying the name isn't necessary, and in some cases even the handsigns are optional. In this AU that is official: handsigns help shape the chakra properly and double as a focus, but they are _not _required for any jutsu up to and including things like Summoning jutsu. The name is even less useful, purely for focus and identification. Most jounin will have a handful of jutsu they have completely mastered, the Basic Three almost always included in that number, that no longer require handsigns for them to use. Clans such as the Nara will make a serious effort to be able to use their clan jutsu as quickly as possible.**

**I understand the reason for doing it in the manga and anime was more for the reader's benefit than that the characters themselves actually needed it, but I wanted a more fluid and fast-paced battle. I've seen stories where they do things like "Uma-Tora-Hitsuji-Saru-I-Uma-Tora, Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu! (****Horse-Tiger-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger**, Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique!)" for _every frakking jutsu_ - and these stories are invariably the jutsu-spamming kind - and it makes the battles almost unreadable. Depending on feedback I may change up how I write the battles, but I will _never _do that.

**Kenchi618 (whose stories I highly recommend, by the way) has a good balance here, I think, with The Chuunin Exams in Better Left Unsaid as a good example. Techniques are rarely spammed in battles, and while he does have the characters say the techniques it's not annoying at all since they actually matter in his battles (and he certainly doesn't include the handsigns). If a technique is used, it's going to change the flow of battle _somehow, a_nd since he's in the canon world and the characters are young and/or genin, the naming and so on doesn't bother me much if at all.  
**


	12. Shaking The Tree

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-10:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The remaining clan heads had gathered in the Hokage's office to discuss the aftermath of the "Uchiha Rebellion", as they were already calling it. Their faces ranged from solemn to angry, but they kept themselves civil for the moment.

Mikoto Uchiha was not present; even though in the wake of Fugaku's death she was technically the head of the Uchiha clan, the Hokage had decided it would be better if she remained out of sight for the moment. She and Sasuke were currently staying with the Aburame clan, as Shibi had volunteered to give them shelter until their home was habitable once again. Mikoto had gratefully accepted, knowing that Shibi would do everything in his power to keep them safe from any hotheaded ninja who might seek to take revenge on her or her son for her husband's actions.

The ANBU Commander was also not present, as he had already left on his mission to retrieve Itachi Uchiha. It would be several days before he returned with his charge in tow, and the situation would hopefully have calmed considerably by then.

Once Hiashi arrived, his normally stoic face particularly harsh this evening, the Hokage began the meeting.

"Let us begin with the final death toll. Shikaku."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Shizune-sama has reported that all injured ninja have either succumbed to their wounds or begun their recovery, so the final toll stands thus:

"From our forces: two ANBU- and five jounin-level ninja dead; of our eleven injured, six will be in long-term rehabilitation, three in short-term rehabilitation, and the remaining two are expected to return to duty within the week.

"From the Uchiha: ten jounin- and fourteen chuunin-level ninja dead; of the twenty-seven injured, nineteen will be in long-term rehabilitation, five in short-term rehabilitation, and three will never recover sufficiently to resume their duties – all three of those had their chakra networks destroyed by Jyuuken attacks," he added, giving Hiashi lazy glance. The Hyuuga clan head's expression did not change.

The Hokage nodded grimly. "What of the remaining Uchiha?" he asked.

Shrugging slightly, Shikaku resumed his summary. "There are currently seven Uchiha in the field, five chuunin and two jounin. Teams have already been dispatched to escort those Uchiha back to Konoha. All other Uchiha have been accounted for and are currently in custody, with the exception of Mikoto and Sasuke, who are under the protection of the Aburame clan."

"Where does that leave the police force?" Inoichi asked curiously.

"In bad shape," Shikaku replied. "While the Uchiha represented only forty percent of the total force, that forty percent made up ninety percent of the leadership, obviously including the Chief. As it stands the police force will be unable to function come tomorrow."

Inoichi grimaced. The police force didn't do much in the way of ninja work, but they were vital to keeping the village running smoothly. Every ninja that had to do police work was a ninja that wasn't running missions, and thus not bringing in income. It wasn't an issue when the Uchiha were running the police, but civilians alone wouldn't be able to handle some of the problems than can come up inside a ninja village. Drunk or unruly ninja are still ninja.

"Chouza, Tsume," the Hokage called out. "I want you to pick out several members from your clans and take temporary control of the police force. We'll need to work out a permanent solution, but for now focus on keeping the force running. Let me know if you need additional help."

Tsume and Chouza nodded. Hiashi spoke up next. "I can also volunteer some ninja from the Branch House, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage sighed internally – Hiashi was already angling to replace the Uchiha as the internal police force. Sarutobi couldn't really blame him, but that could ultimately lead to a repeat of the current situation down the line. No, he had already eliminated the idea of assigning a single clan control of the police. Still, he nodded in acceptance for the time being.

"Thank you, Hiashi. With that problem dealt with for the moment, I want to focus on the Uchiha clan itself. The Kurama are calling for blood – between the attempted assassination of their genin and the rebellion of the Uchiha, they want the entire clan locked away. Konoha can't afford to lose that many active shinobi, however, so we need another solution.

"Inoichi, I want your clan working around the clock to sort out the innocent members of the clan; I want a list on my desk as soon as possible detailing which members of the clan are still loyal. I also want to know any laws they've broken, any secrets they're keeping, everything. For the time being, any Uchiha released had better be a damn saint, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Hiashi, I want your clan working with ANBU to sweep the Uchiha District. All seals should be deactivated, all documents seized, all weapons caches cleared out. Keep a record of who owns what. Any Uchiha proven innocent will have their assets returned, but all other assets will be taken as fines and reparations."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his chair. "Alright, next is the Council. The Kurama have also petitioned to strip the Uchiha of their seat on the Council, and I'm inclined to agree. The problem will be the civilians..."

"Actually, Hokage-sama," Shikaku interrupted, "I might have an idea for that."

"I'm listening."

"Well, the laws concerning the Council state that all vacant seats must be filled before any votes not directly related to those seats can be taken, unless there exists a state of emergency. The last such emergency was the aftermath of the tailed beast's attack. Under those circumstances, all vacant seats were assumed to vote with the Hokage, essentially granting you those extra votes for a limited time."

"That's true, but even if Mikoto doesn't attend the meeting, the only vacant seat is the Uchiha..." Chouza interjected.

Shikaku smirked, his eyes dancing with mirth. "That is the only vacant seat _at the moment_... I'm thinking we pull an Uchiha and steal one of Fugaku's techniques. If we..."

* * *

-November 18th, 339 NE-

-8:00 AM-

-Council Chambers-

"Esteemed Councilors, thank you for responding on such short notice. A terrible event has occurred, as devastating in its own way as the tailed beast's attack, and all of Konoha will need to unite to ensure our continued survival and prosperity."

The civilian councilors stirred uneasily, wondering what was going on. They looked to their ninja counterparts, noticing that Fugaku was not present.

"Yesterday afternoon an Uchiha clan member attempted to assassinate a ninja of the Kurama clan. When the attack was thwarted, the ninja eventually confessed that Fugaku Uchiha himself had ordered the attack. When I attempted to take Fugaku into custody, he and several of his clan resisted arrest and attempted to overthrow Konoha's government in retaliation."

The civilians gasped in shock or shouted in disbelief. It took a minute for the Hokage to restore order, but he soon resumed his explanation.

"Many ninja were lost in the battle, and many more are wounded and currently unable to return to duty. This loss of manpower seriously threatens Konoha's stability and safety, and I am thus declaring a state of emergency. As Konoha law dictates, the Council may, with a two-thirds majority, overturn my decision if they feel such a state does not actually exist. Shikaku, please conduct the vote."

As expected, every ninja councilor voted in agreement with the Hokage with the Uchiha seat abstaining. The civilian result was mixed; four voted with the Hokage, six against.

"Very well, the decree stands; Konoha is now in a state of emergency. As Hokage, it is my sworn duty to maintain the stability of Konoha. ANBU."

Ten ANBU suddenly appeared within the chamber, surrounding five civilians, all of whom had voted against the Hokage.

"Councilors, you are hereby arrested for corruption, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit treason. You will be detained by ANBU until such time as a trial can be arranged. As Konoha is currently in a state of emergency, that may take some time. Take them away."

Their protests were swiftly cut off as the ANBU removed them from the room. The five remaining civilian councilors were white-faced, wondering if they would be next. The Hokage turned to face them, his face stern.

"Councilors, you have not committed any crimes of note; I commend you for your honesty and integrity," the Hokage said. The councilors smiled tremulously, but did not feel particularly reassured.

"For my next order of business, I call for a review of the following laws: the law pertaining to permanent Council status for clans; the law pertaining to civilian seats on the council; the law pertaining to which seats may vote on which issues; and the law pertaining to the disposition of the Konoha Police Force. I call for a single vote for all of the above laws – do I have a second?"

Every ninja in the room issued a firm "Seconded."

One of the civilian councilors stood, trembling slightly. Unsurprisingly, it was the only remaining councilor who had voted against him earlier. "H-Hokage-sama, you can't do that. The law requires that all Council seats be filled before a vote can be called."

"You are correct... unless a state of emergency exists. How fortunate that a state of emergency was just declared. In this circumstance, all empty seats vote with the Hokage."

"But- you can't- that's illegal!" shouted the civilian, his shock momentarily overcoming his fear.

The Hokage surged to his feet, slamming his fist upon the table. His already grim face became positively stony, and a small amount of killing intent began to leak into the room. The civilian blanched, and dropped back into his chair.

"Let me speak plainly," he growled. "The civilian seats were added to this Council out of respect for your contributions to the growth and prosperity of Konoha. I understand the rationale, and despite recent events I still agree with it," he said. "However, in the last five years this Council's powers have been consistently twisted and abused until they are nothing more than a mockery of their original purpose. This abuse led directly to Fugaku Uchiha deciding that he and he alone should decide the fate of this village, and if you had had your way he would have succeeded. What I do now is no more illegal than the outdated and shortsighted process that would have seen a madman elected our next Hokage based on the whims and greed of civilians who should have had no say in the matter to begin with.

"That ends _now._ Be grateful that I am allowing civilians to remain on the Council at all. By the very laws you have so eagerly twisted to suit your own greed and arrogance, I could strip every civilian from the Council and demand any punishment I see fit. So let me tell you what _will_ happen.

"The civilian seats will no longer have any right to vote on a strictly ninja matter, and should there be any doubt it will be the Hokage who decides if the civilians are allowed to vote. The civilian seats will no longer have any vote on ninja law, and they most especially will have no vote on the appointment of the Hokage. The civilian seats will be restricted to dealing with civilian matters, as they should have been from the beginning.

"The practice of voting to appoint temporary seats has proven to be highly susceptible to corruption. Henceforth the Hokage, the ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and _one _representative from both the ninja and civilian seats shall discuss the matter and appoint a worthy councilor."

The Hokage slowly sank back into his chair, finally letting up on his killing intent. The civilians were staring at him in shock; it had been a very long time since they had seen this side of the Hokage, and several had chosen to forget that it existed at all.

"Now then, I believe I called for a vote. We have much work to do, so let's get on with it, shall we?"

* * *

-November 19th, 339 NE-

-4:30 PM-

-Near Wave Country-

"Hello, Dragon-sama," Itachi said calmly, turning his head slightly to stare into the branches of a tree. The two chuunin who were accompanying him on his mission, an Inuzuka and an Aburame, turned to look at him questioningly.

Dragon dropped out of the tree and landed lightly on the ground. "You've improved even more, I see," the ANBU Commander complimented.

"Thank you, Dragon-sama," Itachi said, his expression not changing in the least. The Inuzuka gaped at the ANBU Commander, while the Aburame's insects began to hum in agitation. The Inuzuka's canine partner growled softly, not pleased that someone had managed to sneak up on him.

"May I ask why you have sought us out?" Itachi asked.

Dragon sighed. "I have come to recall your team to Konoha. Your scouting mission will have to end here, with whatever information you have managed to gather so far. You are to return to Konoha immediately."

"What? Why?" cried out the Inuzuka. "We just found a solid lead on the bandits in the area."

"Because those are your orders, chuunin."

Itachi studied Dragon for a long moment before nodding. "Very well," he said.

The Inuzuka grumbled under his breath, but turned to move in the direction of Konoha.

* * *

-November 21st, 339 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Konoha Gates-

Itachi noticed immediately that something had changed within Konoha. The guards watching the gate tensed when they saw him and did not relax even while Dragon was explaining the reason for their return. A couple of civilians who caught sight of him glared in a mixture of disgust and poorly disguised fear.

His teammates were directed to return to their homes immediately for a meeting with their clan, but Dragon kept him back and instead escorted him to the Hokage's office. Itachi quickly noticed that even though he could see several police patrols, it was either a Hyuuga, Akimichi, or Inuzuka who was leading them. In fact, he had yet to see a single Uchiha since he entered Konoha. The glares or wary looks he received as he moved through Konoha continued.

Itachi kept his face carefully neutral, but inside he was disgusted. His father's plotting and treasonous activities had finally caught up with him, and it appeared the entire clan would be paying the price. He held no love for his father – the man had never been particularly affectionate to begin with, but after the tailed beast's attack Fugaku had changed, becoming even colder and more distant. He had pushed Itachi harder and harder in training, always ranting about the glorious future of the Uchiha.

He did not resent the training; he understood the utility of power and knew it was always better to be strong rather than weak. No, Itachi resented the way his father looked at him, the way his father spoke to him – as if he were a tool or a weapon to be honed and sharpened. He had become accustomed to such treatment from others, but it hurt more than he had thought possible to have his own father look at him like that.

His mother had treated him as family should, but she had her own problems dealing with Fugaku and did not always have the time or energy to look after Itachi. Even she had begun treating him as if he were an adult rather than her own child, though she could occasionally be affectionate and was always supportive.

It was Sasuke to whom he felt closest. His little brother looked up to him as someone to admire and emulate, and even though he was often kept busy and away from home – another reason to dislike his father – he made sure to spend as much time as possible with Sasuke. There was no fear or wariness, no jealousy or envy, just child-like admiration and happiness. It made Itachi feel… human.

When they finally arrived at the Hokage's Office, Itachi was prepared for anything from revocation of his ninja license to immediate arrest on charges of treason.

"Ah, Dragon, Itachi-kun, glad to see you back safe and sound," the Hokage said pleasantly as they entered the office.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," the ANBU Commander replied as he moved to stand beside the Hokage's desk. Both focused on Itachi.

Itachi shifted slightly, the only outward sign of his unease, then spoke. "Hokage-sama, may I ask why am I here? Am I not to be detained along with the rest of my clan?"

The Hokage sighed, the smile slowly slipping from his face. "No, Itachi-kun, you will not be detained." The Hokage proceeded to quickly summarize what Fugaku had done, how the Uchiha had rebelled, and the actions taken afterward.

"I see… what of my mother and Sasuke?"

"They are currently residing in the Aburame compound. You are welcome to join them when our business here is concluded," the Hokage said.

"What is our business then? I'm sure you did not need to inform me of these events personally, Hokage-sama," Itachi said, his face still expressionless.

"For better or worse, Mikoto is the new clan head. Unfortunately, despite her own innocence in the rebellion she is tainted by the stigma of her marriage to Fugaku, and other ninja and even civilians will see her as at least partly guilty for your father's actions. If the Uchiha are to recover from Fugaku's lunacy, someone other than Mikoto will need to lead the clan. I believe that someone is you," the Hokage stated, his eyes searching.

Itachi closed his eyes for a long moment, assimilating this new information. The Hokage wanted him as a puppet, it seemed, much as his father had. He could already guess the Hokage's plan. Itachi would be recruited into ANBU to "prove his loyalty", and the Hokage would let it slip that Itachi had passed his personal evaluation and could be trusted with such a sensitive position, alleviating the other ninja's concerns. His mother would become a powerless figurehead while he established his own reputation as a loyal ninja, and in a few years he would leave ANBU to assume his duties as the newest clan head of the Uchiha.

He wouldn't have any real power, of course. The Uchiha had been removed from all their positions of power within Konoha, and it would be decades before the clan as a whole was truly trusted again. Itachi himself would be carefully watched by all sides, the Hokage's ninja monitoring him for any signs of rebelliousness while the remaining Uchiha would likely view him as a traitor who sold out the clan for the Hokage's favor. It was an impossible position, thankless and demanding, one that they would never have asked another child to take – but they were more than willing to ask him.

But if he didn't accept… then Sasuke would suffer, either with the rest of the clan or, worse, as the next figurehead appointed to "guide" the Uchiha back into the fold.

Itachi opened his eyes again, staring straight at the Hokage. He wasn't surprised to find that the Hokage's eyes wouldn't quite meet his own.

"What would you have me do?" Itachi asked.

* * *

-August 30th, 340 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Kuushou checked again to make sure no one was nearby to witness his experiments, then focused on the training post sticking out of the ground in front of him. His constant efforts over the past year in merging his youki and the human chakra his body contained had paid off, and he was able to create a stable mixture containing nearly any percentage of youki he desired at a moment's notice. From there he had swiftly mastered the leaf exercise and beyond, soon passing Ino's own progress in chakra control. She had been annoyed and redoubled her own efforts so she could keep up, but her happiness that he had overcome his difficulties with chakra control – thanks to her advice, not Shizune's, she reminded him – was plain to see.

Still, he didn't need any witnesses for this quite yet, so he had sought out an isolated training ground. He had acquired a fire jutsu - a low-powered, simplistic variant of the Uchiha's infamous Grand Fireball technique - and was ready to determine just how much his youki would alter human techniques.

Chakra theory stated that the handsigns helped ninja manipulate their chakra in the right pattern and prepare it for specific techniques, and doubled as a mental focus. Whatever they did for normal humans did not work for Kuushou, perhaps because his youki overwhelmed the chakra in the body and did not allow it to react naturally. Still, he had been able to puzzle out what was supposed to happen and found that he could manipulate his youki in the proper way to mimic the effects of the handsigns.

Or so he thought, anyway. He hadn't yet had the chance to observe for himself, thus his trip to the training grounds.

For his first experiment he decided to use the lowest concentration of youki he could and work his way up from there. A short string of handsigns later and he inhaled deeply before activating the technique and expelling the gathered air in a single burst.

A small fireball flew from his mouth towards the log, but quickly destabilized and fizzled out completely a mere ten feet away.

Kuushou blinked, trying to place the odd sensation he had felt. There was something… shrugging, he shook the odd feeling off and refocused. Perhaps his human chakra was still too weak or he hadn't used enough; it was his very first time using any human technique, after all.

Grinning, he prepared a much more youki-intensive batch of merged energy and began the technique again. If all he needed was more power, this should be more than sufficient.

The fireball he expelled this time was easily ten times the size of the previous, looking more like a strong example of the Grand Fireball technique than what should be its weaker counterpart. His eyes widened in delight and victory as the fire roared towards the training post… and then began churning in midair. His expression faltered; _that _certainly wasn't what the technique was supposed to do.

"What the…"

Kuushou's eyes widened when streams of fire began pouring out of the fireball and rushing back towards him. Too late he remembered where he had felt that sensation before and figured out what was happening.

"Well… shit," he said, before the fire slammed into his body.

* * *

-August 30th, 340 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

While he had quickly healed the burns and other damage caused by the fire, his clothing was a complete loss, the charred scraps that remained were wholly inadequate to cover him. It had taken him nearly two hours to make it back to the Yamanaka home unseen; he didn't want to explain just why he was running through Konoha naked.

Freshly clothed and bathed, he settled back into the library and started reviewing chakra theory again. He would need to find techniques that did not require chakra to sustain once they were launched. Water sounded good, at least for now – less likely to destroy his clothing and far easier to explain.

Failing that, he could always focus on close-range attacks, although even those would be risky.

* * *

-May 10th, 341 NE-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Itachi's fist lashed out, catching Naruto in the stomach and driving the air from his lungs. Even as Naruto folded over, the kunai clutched in the younger child's hand drove upward and scored a hit, leaving a long, shallow cut on Itachi's arm. They broke apart, Naruto quickly regaining his breath as he fell back into a ready stance.

Itachi eyed the wound with a nod of approval. "You are getting better. Still, you are too willing to accept damage in exchange for striking the opponent. Even with how quickly you heal, allowing the opponent to strike you at any time could prove disastrous. There is always the possibility their weapons are laced with poison or that they have a technique as dangerous as the Jyuuken in their arsenal. Try again, this time while avoiding the blow."

Naruto nodded silently. Itachi dashed forward again, his fists striking the air around Naruto as they resumed their battle.

These training sessions had begun in part because the Hokage had deemed it useful for Itachi to be seen helping Konoha's "little hero". Itachi was certain the Hokage also fully intended for Naruto to learn from these training sessions, and the boy had. Itachi wondered if this almost impossibly fast progress was what people had seen in his younger days.

Still, Itachi found himself enjoying these sessions on a personal level as well. Naruto did not fear him as the other children did, nor was he awed and humbled by his skill or disturbed by his quiet, calculating demeanor. There was an odd sort of respect between them; two people who would never be even remotely "normal" who had found a kindred spirit.

Itachi reflected on that thought for a moment, absentmindedly deflecting Naruto's attack. Was it that Naruto could see Itachi for all that he was and didn't care? There was something to that, he concluded, but that was not the whole answer.

Even Itachi's mother tried to ignore the fact that he had already grown more powerful than her, choosing to focus on their familial bond instead. It was comforting in some ways, but it felt like he was donning a mask whenever he stepped foot inside her house, like he had to hide part of himself in order to feel welcome.

Sasuke was better in this regard, but the early adulation had slowly but surely turned into a one-sided rivalry following the fall of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had still held out hope that Fugaku would acknowledge him, and the sudden loss of his father had hurt him deeply. Sasuke had eventually turned the pain of that loss into a determination to restore the Uchiha clan's honor, and Itachi's place in Sasuke's life had shifted from role model to measuring stick. It was ironic, Itachi mused; Fugaku really would have been proud of Sasuke now.

Itachi stifled a hiss as the kunai scored a shallow cut along his ribs, instinctively kicking out and landing a solid hit that flung Naruto backwards several feet. He barely managed to alter the direction of the kick so that it didn't crush Naruto's windpipe, instead catching him across the chest. Naruto pulled himself to his feet, grinning widely even as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

That was another oddity. Despite what their relative skill levels should be, Itachi had to consciously stop himself from reacting as if Naruto was a serious threat and striking fatal blows. Several times he had barely stopped himself from snapping Naruto's neck or stabbing a kunai into vital organs. Further, he was certain that Naruto knew what he had been about to do, and the child just smiled that wide grin of his as if he found it all terribly amusing.

"You shouldn't get distracted, ANBU-san," Naruto said mockingly. "It's always the insignificant ones who catch you in the end." Itachi had that odd sense that Naruto was speaking from experience, even though that should be impossible. He knew that Naruto behaved differently in these sessions than he did in his other activities, but statements like that made his instincts scream at him even louder. It disturbed him that after years of observing Naruto he still couldn't pin down why he instinctively knew that Naruto was dangerous.

* * *

-February 13th, 342 NE-

-A Small Tavern in the Land of Water-

"They're trying to keep it quiet for the moment, but some of the Seven Swordsman have gone missing."

Jiraiya groaned. "_Again?_ Kami, what is going on in Kiri?" He shook his head. "Is this like the old Mizukage? They just up and disappeared?"

"No, there was definitely a fight this time, and at least one of them was killed. Kisame Hoshigaki apparently did the deed, from the rumors I heard. He's one of the ones who left, and he took his sword with him."

"Oh, that's gotta hurt."

"Yeah… they've already dispatched several hunter-nin squads after him."

"What's the new Mizukage doing?"

"She's the one who drove him off in the end, apparently. She may have killed or captured another of the defectors… the rumors are all over the place on that. The rumors also can't agree on who lived, who died, and who fled, outside of Kisame."

Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully. It was useful to hear about the unrest in Kiri, but he never liked working with such vague information.

His informant brought up another topic, his new knowledge on Kiri exhausted for the moment. "Hey, did you hear about-"

"Sword and Hammer, Wave, yes, I know."

"Did you hear that they supposedly made off with most of Gato's fortune?"

Jiraiya whistled appreciatively. "That's gotta be… over fifty million ryo."

"More than that, if you believed Gato. However much it is, that's still some serious cash. And speaking of cash…"

Jiraiya snorted then reached into his pouch. Instead of money, however, he pulled out an orange book.

"Is that…"

"Yep, the latest in the series, first edition, hot off the presses, autographed by yours truly. Of course, if you still want your money…"

"No! I mean… such a collector's item should go to those who truly appreciate it. A true fan of your genius, such as myself."

Jiraiya chuckled to himself as he left the tavern. That got 'em every time.

* * *

-July 23rd , 342 NE-

-1:00 AM-

-ANBU Archives-

Itachi flipped to the beginning of Naruto's file again. With his recent promotion to ANBU Captain, he had access to nearly all restricted files, which fortunately for him included the vast majority of the information available on Naruto Uzumaki. He had already read through the entire file four times, learning nothing truly new, but his instincts – those same instincts that insisted Naruto was dangerous – insisted that he held the answer in his hands.

He skimmed through the file again; ANBU HQ at one week old, orphanage at one year, genius intellect, rapid learning, incredible test scores, attempted assassination, moved to Yamanaka household, Kumo incident… other than the details on when and how the tailed beast's chakra had been used, he had already known all of this. What was he missing?

"Captain? You pulling another all-nighter?" Rabbit asked.

Itachi grunted his response, waving off his fellow ANBU distractedly. As the other ninja departed, Itachi dropped the file to the table in disgust. He stood up and began to pace back and forth, his nerves jangling. Kami, he was so close he could taste it, but the answer just refused to come.

Perhaps if he looked at it from a different perspective; instead of beginning with Naruto and explaining the oddities, start with the oddities themselves.

Naruto – no, that clouded the issue, evoked an emotional response – the subject was highly intelligent for a child. The subject was unable to bond with peers for several years, but later easily formed powerful bonds with the children of ninja families. The subject dismisses personal injury as irrelevant. The subject is incredibly focused on learning, absorbs knowledge on any and all topics like a sponge, with a recent focus on the healing arts.

The subject was capable of deliberate murderous intent before the age of four.

Itachi's breathing began to quicken. He was getting closer now, he could feel it. What other oddities did the subject demonstrate? The subject was used as the vessel for sealing a tailed beast, a nine-tailed beast specifically. The tailed beast's chakra is constantly circulating throughout the subject's body. However, that was assumed to be – no, no explanations; just list.

Itachi had stopped moving now, his fists rapidly clenching and unclenching and his body trembling.

The subject has only shown external evidence of the presence of the tailed beast sealed within him on two occasions: once immediately after the sealing, and once during the attempted assassination – but that was because- no! List! His breath was coming in gasps now, his eyes wide. He had unknowingly activated his sharingan, the three tomoe spinning wildly as they stared at nothing.

He didn't even notice Rabbit returning to the room carrying a tray of snacks, intent on doing a small favor for the ANBU Captain. He didn't hear the tray drop to the floor or Rabbit dash out of the room, seeking a med-nin to help the ANBU Captain who appeared to be having some sort of seizure.

Itachi's mind continued to turn. A little more than a week later the subject took similarly life-threatening wounds, but the tailed beast's chakra was not used. This, this needed to be explained. This was an oddity among oddities. Why? Why was the chakra not used? Why a week before but not then? The Hokage and the other ninja had been relieved at the change, of course, but–

And there it was.

His body stilled and his breathing slowed as everything began to fall into place. A look of stunned admiration crossed his face at the sheer beauty of the answer. It was so obvious, so blindingly _obvious_, that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before, that _no one_ had seen it before. As he began to laugh – a choked, brittle sound that frightened Rabbit and the med-nin as they entered the room – he realized that his prior ignorance was his own fault; he had forgotten the first lesson he ever learned, the single most important lesson of his entire life.

He turned to look at Rabbit and the med-nin, a wide smile on his face.

"Never trust your eyes," he said, and vanished.

* * *

**A/N: I probably shouldn't have enjoyed ending the chapter there as much as I did.**

**This has been coming for quite a while; I hinted at it during the first scene with Itachi, and finally it has happened.**

**The Council has finally been smacked down. This will probably be the last scene dealing with that aspect of the Council, although the Council as a whole will be involved whenever the politicking gets heavy. It serves more as a background / motivation scene than something to drive the plot forward anyway.**

**I'm curious... assuming you figured out what happened when Kuushou tried to use that fireball technique, how long did it take you? The problem was laid out in the early chapters, though it hasn't been brought up much since then. This just served as a reminder that it won't just go away, and will continue to hinder Kuushou for the foreseeable future. He understands that now, however, and will learn to compensate in other ways. Coming up with new abilities or finding ways to spin old ones is actually a lot of fun.**

**Also, Gato got killed off, so no Wave arc. I understand that it's the first major arc in canon, but I've seen it done over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and- yeah. Sometimes the author will mix it up, but sadly despite whatever radical changes they've introduced to the story it almost always goes down exactly the same way, every time. Given the changes I've introduced elsewhere there was no possible way I could justify that chain of events here, so I just cut it out entirely. Now I have to come up with something original to fill the gap between graduation and the Chuunin Exams... **

***panics*  
**


	13. Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself

-July 23rd, 342 NE-

-1:30 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Kuushou sensed Itachi entering the house in the middle of the night. He observed as Itachi moved through the house, impressed despite himself as Itachi effortlessly evaded the traps and seals scattered throughout. Itachi arrived outside his door… and waited. Interesting.

After nearly a minute of no movement, Kuushou pulled himself out of his bed and got dressed. Whatever this was, it would certainly be more useful than pretending to sleep for yet another night.

He pulled open the door, but before he could speak Itachi began signaling him using ANBU code, which Itachi had taught him some time ago with the Hokage's blessing. _Silent. Follow. Discussion needed._

Kuushou raised his eyebrow curiously, but complied. Itachi slipped outside of the house and he followed, easily keeping pace with the older ninja.

A few minutes later, they arrived outside a training area that Kuushou had heard about, but never been to before – Training Area Forty-Four, the "Forest of Death". It certainly seemed worthy of the name; the forest had grown large and untamed, a stark contrast to the other areas around Konoha. The trees loomed above them, and Kuushou could hear the roars and cries of large predators deep within. Itachi leaped over the high fence that surrounded the overgrown forest, not even bothering to slow his pace, and once more Kuushou followed.

They ran through the forest for nearly thirty minutes. Kuushou could sense large animals prowling around them, but they gave the two ninja wide berth. Finally, Itachi stopped in a large clearing and turned to face him.

Itachi's face was unusually open, his expressions far easier to read than they normally were. He was staring at him curiously, his gaze searching, and Kuushou thought there was even a hint of admiration there. His sharingan was activated, but the tomoe were spinning slowly, almost lazily.

Before Kuushou could ask what was going on, Itachi began speaking. His voice was open too, no longer the usual monotone that he addressed the world with. Kuushou had seen hints of Itachi's hidden personality shining through in their training sessions before, but nothing so obvious as this.

"It should have been obvious from the first moment I met you, you know. Your chakra surrounded the body like an aura, pulsing and _alive_, but I dismissed it. I had been told that your chakra was running through the body and so knew to expect it, even if I hadn't anticipated such… activity," Itachi said, his voice almost wistful.

Kuushou froze. He couldn't be saying…

"Even through our training sessions, there were so many hints, so many clues, if I had just known them for what they were… but my mind had already been tainted, my reasoning twisted and soured by the impressions of other ninja. The Fourth Hokage was a genius, they said. The Death God's seal was perfect, they said. Even Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama agreed – the seal was working as intended," Itachi continued.

Kuushou just listened in horrified fascination even as he measured the distance between them and wondered if he could reach the ANBU Captain before he was cut down and rendered helpless. It would be a shame to kill one of the few humans he had come to respect, but he would not be sent back to Makai now.

"Even if the seal was imperfect, the tailed beasts were just that – beasts. Nearly mindless engines of destruction and hate, incapable of reasoning or thought. We should have known better; in that battle you displayed the ruthless efficiency and discernment of a veteran ninja. Your actions were reasoned, designed to dispatch your enemies with minimal effort and maximum impact.

"And Inoichi… that poor fool. He convinced himself that he understood you, understood your 'problems', and invited you into his own home. He has been your greatest ally in all of this, unwitting as he must be. His theory seemed so perfect, so thorough. It explained everything, and even played on the guilt the Third Hokage must feel. You were hurt, you needed help…," Itachi trailed off, his eyes distant. His focus suddenly snapped back.

"When?" he asked.

Kuushou knew what he was asking and decided to answer truthfully; there was no point in trying to lie now. "Naruto was born October 10th, 334 NE, and he died October 10th, 334 NE," he said.

"From the very beginning," Itachi breathed. He fell silent, his eyes distant again as he contemplated that answer.

Kuushou's senses were working overtime; he had already determined that whatever Itachi was planning to do, he would be doing it alone for the moment. There were no other ninja within miles, though he felt an interesting stir of activity at the very edge of his senses. Several high-level ninja were moving rapidly through Konoha, meeting with other ninja who then joined in the movement. He couldn't identify anyone at this range, but he suspected Itachi had already done something.

He growled, letting his youki bleed into his voice. Itachi snapped out of his daze at the sound, though he did not otherwise react. "Have you already shared your discovery with the other ninja?" Kuushou asked.

"No," Itachi replied immediately. "They would not believe me even if I told them. They have convinced themselves that you are their own 'little hero', and would believe you over myself regardless. It's ironic… I am fully human and innocent of any crime, but I am viewed with mistrust and hatred; while you, the tailed beast responsible for the deaths of so many ninja, are trusted and even loved." He chuckled at his own words, the laugh starting low but quickly building to an hysterical pitch.

"Itachi!" Kuushou barked, not interested in indulging the human's odd sense of humor at the moment. "If you have not told anyone, then why are so many ninja moving through the village?"

Itachi pulled himself together and took several calming breaths before responding. "They are likely after me. I was reading over your file in the Archives when I finally understood the truth, and I reacted… poorly. Another ANBU saw me before I left; they likely believe I have snapped under the pressure of my responsibilities. They will also have discovered that you are missing by this point, another black mark against me," he said, and began to laugh again, but steadied himself without any prompting from Kuushou.

"I see...," Kuushou said, relaxing slightly. Itachi apparently did not intend to slay him at this time, and he could easily "explain" the situation well enough to render himself completely blameless. Assured that he was in control for the moment, he turned his attention more fully to Itachi.

"What finally gave me away? It can't have been something I did recently…," Kuushou prompted.

"It was the Miyazaki incident, actually. You were severely wounded but did not use your chakra to defend yourself, as you had just a week prior. Was the previous instance a test of some sort, to determine how the other ninja would react?"

Kuushou chuckled bitterly. "Yes, it was. So my efforts to avoid suspicion actually gave me away. How… ironic."

Itachi shook his head. "No, not using your chakra worked as intended. I would never have thought twice about it if my instincts didn't already view you as a threat. From the moment I met you I knew _something _was wrong, and it still took me this long to figure out what it was. I can see the flaws in the beginning now, but Inoichi covered those with his theory and redirected the focus from understanding what had 'happened' to you to 'fixing' you. Now... the deception is nearly perfect," he said, his voice admiring.

"What are you, really?" Itachi asked, openly curious. "You are clearly highly intelligent and capable of both reason and subterfuge. This conflicts with everything the ninja world supposedly 'knows' about the tailed beasts."

Kuushou snorted. "Before I answer that, let me ask a question of my own… why are you not trying to kill me? As you say, I did end up killing many ninja, including some of your clan, I'm sure. I have… misled the entire village for years, and for all you know I could be plotting to murder every man, woman, and child in Konoha."

Itachi nodded slowly. "Yes, you could be… but you are not. Though I do not know what you are, you are close enough to human for communication and understanding, and not everything you have said and done is purely an act. You do not behave as if you are trapped, and your actions are not full of veiled hatred and resentment. I can see the mockery, now, the times when you were laughing at the people of this village, but even that did not extend to everyone. I think you find most of the people of this village irrelevant, but you have focused on the ninja for some reason.

"I think, if you really wanted to, you could free yourself from that body. I can see no benefit to restricting yourself to a child's body – that you have not already left it means there is something to gain – or perhaps something to lose – but the fact that the option is there at all removes a great deal of the pain from your imprisonment. There must be a reason to stay, and I think you are looking for something, something the ninja can help you find. Something like… the other tailed beasts," Itachi concluded.

Kuushou said nothing for a long moment, staring at Itachi. Then a smile slowly spread across his face, widening into a grin, the same grin he used during the training sessions with Itachi. "Amazing, absolutely amazing. This is why I have come to respect you, Itachi. Your mind is...

"You know, even as you have watched me, I have also been watching you. I've seen how you interact with other ninja, how they unconsciously shy away from you whenever you enter a room, how they always watch you warily out of the corner of their eye. It started long before the Uchiha Rebellion, long before they had an excuse. They see you for what you are, even if they can't explain it to themselves. They see you for what I know you to be."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly in anticipation, and he took an unconscious step forward before he stopped himself. He kept his tone carefully controlled as he asked, "And what would that be?"

Kuushou's grin widened even further, impossibly wide, and he flooded youki into his eyes, forcing them to rapidly change as his true nature imposed itself on the human body.

"A hunter. A predator."

His eyes were blood red now, with a black vertical slit acting as the pupil, and his voice deepened even further, resonating throughout the clearing unnaturally.

"**A demon.**"

* * *

-Same Day-

-Earlier, 2:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Inoichi was startled awake as someone began pounding on his door, triggering some of the security seals that protected his home. He rolled out of bed, snagging the weapons that were never far from his person, and dashed out of the room. He quickly checked the other doors in the hallway, confirming that all of them were currently closed and undamaged, before he moved downstairs.

He approached the front door warily, kunai at the ready. Now that he was downstairs he could finally make out the words the person outside was shouting.

"Yamanaka-san! Yamanaka-san! Please, this is urgent!" the voice shouted. It was distorted, meaning ANBU, or at least someone pretending to be one.

"Identification code!" he barked, making no move to open the door.

The voice did not identify itself, instead saying, "Yamanaka-san, please place your home in immediate lock-down. Do not allow anyone short of the Hokage himself entry into the house, especially ANBU, regardless of identification. We have reason to believe that Naruto is in immediate danger."

Inoichi paled, and whipped around to run back up the stairs. He slapped a security seal as he raced by, flooding it with his chakra. Seals began appearing all over the walls, floors, and ceiling, bathing the house in a blue light.

Inoichi ignored all of this as he charged down the hallway, barely remembering to deactivate the seal on Naruto's door before he threw it open. The room was pristine. There was no sign of disturbance and no blood.

It was also empty.

The covers on the bed were thrown back, and Inoichi could see that Naruto's bedclothes were left on top of the bed. His sandals were missing from their usual resting place.

"Damn it!" he roared.

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:15 AM-

-The Forest of Death-

"A demon...?" Itachi repeated. "Is that what you are? Are you saying I am like you, like a tailed beast?"

Kuushou sighed, and pulled his youki back. "Are you literally a demon? No. As you pointed out earlier, you are fully human. But your mind, your temperament, your way of thinking... those are far more demonic than they are human. Now, if we are to hold a meaningful discussion, I suppose I should answer your earlier question.

"Technically, I am a demon, though even among demons I am something rather rare – my kind are known as the Bijuu, and there are but nine of us in all of existence. We are the only demons who could be considered truly immortal, as we have yet to find anything or anyone capable of killing us. Even your vaunted Death God can not achieve that feat."

"But you can be sealed," Itachi said.

Kuushou snarled furiously. "Yes, so I have discovered. We won the right to travel the human realm as we wished long ago, long before humanity gained chakra and began utilizing it. My brethren and I were wandering the human realm to see what humanity had achieved since we last visited when I was attacked and sealed. Your Death God sealed me then as well, but I destroyed that seal immediately."

Itachi nodded, his belief that the tailed be- no, that the demon could free itself should it choose to confirmed. "The Death God claimed you would be banished for one hundred years when the seal failed. If you returned as soon as possible, that would mean the sealing occurred nearly one hundred and eight years ago. Such an event would surely be remembered... oh." Itachi paled considerably as he realized that the event _was_ remembered, very well in fact. "Kami...," he breathed.

"Yes, I was rather amused when I stumbled across that particular piece of history in my studies. The Land of Wind didn't always consist of deserts and wastelands, though even I was surprised by just how much damage I had done. It is rather impressive how accurate the guesses are as to the cause; 'large scale sealing experiment gone horribly wrong' I believe is the favored theory."

"Is that what your full power is capable of?" Itachi asked quietly, his mind grappling with the onslaught of information that changed so many things he thought he knew about the world.

"Child," Kuushou said condescendingly, "_that_ was a side effect. My full power could burn this world to ash and I would not even feel the strain." His voice contained no hint of arrogance or deceit, only absolute certainty.

"Still," he continued, his voice returning to a more conversational tone as if he hadn't just threatened to destroy the world, "that wouldn't be very interesting, now would it? With only eight siblings and millennia to get to know them, truly new events become rather rare. We fight with the Outer Realm every now and then, but even that has gotten boring with time. They've grown weaker over the years and we have only gotten stronger," Kuushou said.

He was actually enjoying talking so openly. It had been a long time since he could truly converse with anyone and Itachi was... actually rather overwhelmed at the moment.

Kuushou sighed. If he was going to recruit Itachi to his side, there was so much more he needed to properly explain, but Itachi was having trouble keeping up with the rapid shifts in his worldview. Kuushou could also sense ninja entering the Forest of Death and moving about in a search pattern; it seemed their time was growing short.

"Itachi," he said, drawing the ninja's attention back from his contemplations. "There is still much you need to know, but ninja have entered the forest searching for us and it won't take long for them to find us. We need to get you safely away and continue to keep suspicion off of me," Kuushou urged.

Itachi frowned. "I never said I would be helping you."

Kuushou grinned again. "Really? You brought me all the way out here because you intended to expose me? Are you going to bury this knowledge and continue about your life as if you didn't know? Don't tell me my respect is wasted on someone who will continue to enslave himself to those who hate and revile him. You are better than that, better than this place."

Itachi hesitated, but could not bring himself to refute the statement.

Kuushou smiled when Itachi did not contradict him. "You will not find the answers you need here. You have already tried to be the perfect ninja for Konoha and they hate you for it. When you are free from the burdens of this village, free from their rules and expectations, then you will see the world so much more clearly. You will truly understand who you are, and what it means to be a demon."

Itachi wanted to disagree, but he remembered his mother's pained expression whenever he would talk about his missions, or the challenging look on Sasuke's face that had replaced the brotherly affection that had been so precious to him. He remembered the Hokage's kindly smile that hid his ruthless mind, and the suspicious and wary looks from the other ninja.

"What about my family?" Itachi asked.

"I assume you are only talking about Mikoto and Sasuke, yes? I will do my best to make sure they do not suffer any repercussions from this, but I can make no guarantees. The Uchiha are already quite unpopular, and their most prominent son going rogue is not going to help the situation any. Still, staying will do no good either; you will help them far more by keeping Konoha's attention focused on you as a missing-nin than surrendering yourself to imprisonment or execution."

Itachi nodded slowly as he thought it over. The demon was right; there was nothing for him here, not anymore.

Kuushou grinned again. "Once you have spent some time on the outside, find me again and I will tell you more. Until then, I would certainly appreciate it if you kept an ear out for news of my brethren or their vessels. It has been a very long time since I saw any of them, and I think you can understand the value of family more than most."

Itachi nodded again. Even if he decided not to help the demon in the end, there was no harm in gathering information. He smirked to himself, remembering the demon's own never-ending thirst for knowledge; they were certainly similar in this regard, at least.

"What's your name?" Itachi asked suddenly.

"Kuushou, the Burning Sky," Kuushou replied.

Itachi nodded, committing it to memory. He recalled Kuushou's earlier declaration that he could 'burn the world to ash', and wondered just how he had gotten the name. He didn't voice his question, though.

"How are you going to explain your escape?" Itachi asked instead.

Kuushou smirked. "Who said I got away?"

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:45 AM-

-The Forest of Death-

Inoichi felt terror thrumming through his veins when the Inuzuka who accompanied his group cursed and doubled his speed. The ninja shouted back only one word, but it spurred the other ninja to pick up their pace as well: "Blood." The ninja burst into the clearing, weapons drawn and prepared to fight.

Itachi was nowhere to be seen, but Inoichi's eyes were quickly drawn to Naruto. Nearly a dozen kunai were sticking out of his body, and there were rips and tears in his clothing that showed even more had struck him at some point. His blood was splattered around the clearing here and there, and a large amount was pooled under him. For a long moment Inoichi stared, frozen, fearing that Naruto's rapid healing had been unable to keep up with the onslaught of this night. Then he saw Naruto's chest rise slowly, and realized that Naruto was still breathing, still _alive._

He frantically began flaring chakra even as he registered that his companions had already begun to do so. He vaguely felt the answering flares as the other ninja in the forest began to converge on his position, but his attention was focused on Naruto. He knelt beside his son's body, frantically applying the few medical techniques he had managed to acquire in recent years, grateful that he had done so and hating that he needed to use them. Shizune-sama had also briefed him on the peculiarities of Naruto's chakra, so he knew to simply heal what he could and let Naruto's own body do the rest.

Sure enough, as he began his work Naruto's chakra swirled around his then began to mimic his efforts. He kept working even as med-nin knelt beside him, lending their own chakra and techniques to healing Naruto. He only moved aside when Shizune-sama herself arrived and began to work.

Knowing that he had done all he could to help Naruto, he turned his attention to the clearing. Claw marks dug into the earth throughout the open space, centered on Naruto's current location; the shallow trenches were surrounded by scorched grass, and the dirt appeared almost glassy. Some of the kunai littering the clearing were partially melted, and there were a few that were barely recognizable as anything other than misshapen lumps of metal. It looked as if Naruto had called upon the tailed beast's chakra again, though it did not appear to have helped him much this time.

He spotted other ninja leaving the clearing heading further away from Konoha, presumably following Itachi's trail. Inoichi had pitied the young man before this, but now he wanted nothing more than to stab his own kunai into the bastard's emotionless eyes. Whatever insanity had taken Itachi, Naruto did not deserve to be attacked and nearly killed yet again. Kami, this was the third time, and he wasn't even eight years old. There were full jounin who hadn't come this close to death so many times – of course, that was because everyone else would likely have died the first time.

Inoichi cursed again when he thought of Ino waiting at home. She had not reacted well to learning that Naruto was in danger yet again; she had a haunted look in her eyes that Inoichi had only seen after some of her worst nightmares, the ones where Naruto didn't survive the incident.

Yes, if Inoichi ever saw Itachi again, only one of them would be walking away. No one hurt his family and got away with it. No one.

* * *

-Same Day-

-9:15 AM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Kuushou waited until well into the morning before he "woke up" this time, reminding himself that the damage had appeared much more extensive than his previous wounds and that he should have a harder time recovering from it. He moved carefully so as not to disturb Ino, who was currently curled up against his side holding onto his arm with a death grip.

Once he was sitting in a more comfortable position, he gazed down at his "older sister" with a fond expression. He let out a small chuckle; he still didn't understand how that moniker had stuck. His body was nearly eight months older than Ino, so technically she should be his younger sister, not older. Even the other ninja children and their families, despite knowing that he celebrated his birthdays before Ino, referred to him as the younger sibling. Ah well. It was a human thing, he supposed, and it didn't really matter.

Kuushou cast his thoughts back to the events of last night, considering what they could mean long-term. The situation was beginning to change more firmly in his favor; his human chakra control was steadily improving, his network of contacts within the village was expanding and his reputation growing, he had companions who would support him in or out of battle, and he now had his second potential recruit.

He turned to Ino again, his first potential recruit. Itachi had always been a likely candidate due to his way of thinking and isolation within the village, even if the actual event had happened largely at the spur of the moment. Ino on the other hand would require careful grooming and conditioning. She was too heavily invested in Naruto as a human being to react well to his true nature, though that same bond would likely make it quite simple to convince her to fully join his side.

No, the trick would be revealing the entire truth to her without damaging her mind; and it _would_ require the full truth, he knew. Living in a ninja village had revealed a truth of human relations that he had taken to heart – secrets never last. If he continued to deceive her, eventually she would learn of his true nature at a time and place outside of his control, and that could prove disastrous. He would have to consider his approach very carefully.

Ino stirred, her grip tightening to an almost painful level before slowly relaxing. She blinked her eyes open and raised one hand to rub her eyes.

"Wan' seep," she mumbled tiredly, lowering her head again. She blinked rapidly, the shot upright with a gasp. "Naruto!"

"Morning, Nee-chan," Kuushou said, smiling at her. He let out a small grunt as she flung herself onto him, squeezing him tightly as a few tears spilled out.

"Don't you dare disappear like that again, little brother," she said sternly. The effect was spoiled somewhat as she sniffled.

"Sorry, Nee-chan, I didn't mean to get hurt again." It wasn't entirely a lie, he consoled himself; he certainly hadn't expected Itachi to have uncovered his secret when he first left the house.

The sound of a throat clearing pulled their attention to the foot of the bed, where they saw Shizune standing, a small grin on her face. "If you two are done, I would like to examine Naruto-kun again now that he's awake."

Ino stuck out her tongue at Shizune, but slowly detached herself from Naruto to allow the med-nin to do her work. Shizune just shook her head before activating her medical jutsu. A minute later she pronounced Naruto completely healed, as expected.

"Dragon-san would like to talk with you about what happened last night, Naruto-kun. You don't have to," she added quickly, "but it could help find It- the person who did this to you."

Kuushou just smiled at her. "That's alright, Shizune-nee-chan. I can talk to him whenever."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Kami, it just never ends, does it?" Sarutobi grumbled to himself.

Dragon shifted uncomfortably. "Hokage-sama, I-"

"Save it, Dragon. It's as much my fault as anyone's. Inoichi warned us we were asking too much of the boy, though I'm sure even he didn't expect something like this to happen."

"I... yes, Hokage-sama."

"What have you found out?"

"Naruto's report confirms our findings from last night. Itachi used their relationship to lure him to an isolated area, then attempted to kill him for reasons unknown. Naruto tried to use his 'special chakra,' as he calls it, to defend himself, but was unable to keep up with Itachi. He fell unconscious, at which point Itachi presumably withdrew to avoid pursuit. I do not know why he did not confirm his kill; I can only guess that his state of mind was so disturbed that he believed he had truly killed Naruto. He almost managed to anyway."

"Have the trackers found anything?"

"They followed his trail out of the Forest of Death beyond the borders of Konoha, at which point it splits into five trails, all moving at a fast pace. They believe he used clones to place false trails, using pieces of real clothing to make sure the scent did not fade too quickly. Though I hate to say it, Itachi is- _was _one of the best ninja Konoha had – I'm not sure even I could follow him at this point."

The Hokage sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Call off the pursuit. There's no point in wasting their time anymore," the Hokage said firmly. "Itachi will be placed in the Bingo Book as an S-rank fugitive with a capture-on-sight order. I don't care about the extra bounty that will demand; I will have answers for his actions, one way or another."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

"Has anyone figured out what Itachi meant by 'never trust your eyes'?" the Hokage asked.

"No, Hokage-sama. Even if it is a standard shinobi saying, it seems strange for an Uchiha to use it. No one has been able to determine if there was some trigger or hidden meaning, or if it was simply another sign of his madness. Rabbit reported that Itachi appeared to be having a seizure shortly before he left ANBU HQ, so perhaps there is even some physical trauma causing his erratic behavior."

The Hokage nodded quietly, mentally filing away the information he had for later contemplation.

"Now, summon Mikoto. She's going to need to know about this; better she find out from me than someone else."

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Somewhere South of Konoha-

Itachi stepped out of the alleyway and blended into the crowd leaving the market district of this small town. Most of the shops were closing up for the day and the workers were heading home. It had been an easy matter to acquire clothing that would make him seem like just another tired laborer.

He was virtually unrecognizable as a ninja, much less Itachi Uchiha. He had altered his stance, the way he walked, his facial expression, everything. He had also repressed his chakra as much as possible and made sure to acquire several strong scents that would mask his own unique smell. Coupled with the false trails his clones had created he was confident he was in the clear.

His first goal accomplished he turned his mind to assessing the next step in the mission… and stopped dead in the middle of the street.

He had no orders.

There was no goal.

There were no mission parameters.

He had absolutely no idea what to do.

It had not occurred to him until this very moment just how much his life had been dictated by other people. First his father, then his superior officers, then the Hokage himself. Every move had been carefully plotted and laid out beforehand, his only option how quickly he advanced. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone had asked what he, Itachi Uchiha the human being, wanted to do. It was always Itachi Uchiha the genius ninja, Itachi Uchiha the heir of the Uchiha clan.

When was the last time he had been offered a real choice?

The demon's… no, Kuushou's words echoed through his mind: _"you will see the world so much more clearly. You w__ill truly understand who you are…"_

He turned his earlier question to Kuushou back upon himself. What was he, really? Who was Itachi Uchiha? He wasn't a loyal ninja of Konoha – he had left the village behind with hardly a second thought, his only doubts concerning his family, not his duty. He wasn't truly an Uchiha, either, not as his father or the clan would see it – the name meant nothing to him, and he did not feel particularly proud of his eyes or their power.

Was he a friend? He couldn't recall anyone he would miss – the mother and younger brother he had cherished had vanished somewhere years before, their current relationship, or lack thereof, bringing nothing but pain for him – nor did he believe anyone would truly miss him.

Was he a mentor? He had certainly taught Naru- Kuushou much about ninja combat, but his relationship with the demon was nothing like that between a teacher and a student.

Was he a hero? Despite all he had sacrificed for the village, the many missions he had successfully completed to strengthen the village and weaken its enemies, no one would call him such. Most of the other ninja would rest easier knowing he was gone even as they cursed him for abandoning the village. Nor did he feel particularly heroic himself; he had performed his duty because it was expected of him, not because he had wanted to.

Was he a villain, then? Itachi laughed bitterly at the thought. After deserting his post and attempting to "kill" Kuushou, Konoha would almost certainly place him in the Bingo Book. Many would likely revile him for attempting to kill Konoha's "little hero," but that was hardly new. They had always found some reason to revile him, either because he was "creepy" and "emotionless" – never mind that his behavior was exactly what was supposedly expected of the "perfect ninja" – or because he was an Uchiha. This would simply be the latest justification for what they had always felt.

He realized that he was drawing attention and resumed walking, quickly moving out of sight. He may not have any answers at the moment, but Kuushou had been right about one thing, and he felt a swell of gratitude towards the demon as he considered the thought.

He was free.

* * *

**A/N: This is probably the chapter I'm most nervous about... well, number two on that list, I suppose.  
**

**The first person to find out about Kuushou is Itachi, and rather than running to the Hokage or Dragon, he confronts Kuushou directly. I've tried to explain his thought process as well as leave hints in earlier chapters - the scene with Hokage and Dragon when he is brought back to Konoha in particular set the stage, but even the reaction of the clan heads when he drops off Sasuke fed into this. Itachi has never felt welcomed or accepted by most of the ninja in Konoha, and that slowly but surely destroyed any loyalty he might have felt to the village. Even before this he felt more comfortable with "Naruto" than anyone else in the village, including his own family.  
**

**Feel free to draw your own conclusions about the parallels between this situation and canon!Naruto.**


	14. Want To Know A Secret?

-August 5th, 342 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Konoha Hospital-

"Very good, Naruto-kun. Your control has really been improving lately. At this rate you'll have no trouble with medical techniques when you graduate," Shizune said. "For your next exercise, I-"

"Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto interrupted, "why do I have to wait? I'll be graduating in a few months anyway and the Hokage has already approved me to study medical techniques... why can't I just start now?"

Shizune grimaced. She had really been hoping someone else would tell Naruto so that she wouldn't have to break the news herself.

"About that… didn't you hear about the new law the Hokage passed?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "No…," he said slowly. "What law?"

"Well, after Itachi tried to… kill you, the Hokage decided that Itachi had gone insane due to the pressure of his work and his young age. He made a new law that made the minimum age of graduation twelve years of age, regardless of prior training or merit, and that no one can join the ninja forces before they are twelve years old. So you can't graduate early," Shizune said apologetically. "I know you really wanted to, and you deserve to, but at least…," she started to say, but trailed off as she looked at Naruto.

Naruto's fists were clenched, and his entire body was shaking. Shizune stepped back swiftly when she noticed tendrils of red chakra curling off of his body. She was about to call for help when Naruto took a shaky breath and slowly calmed down, the red tendrils receding.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you alright? What just-"

"Does he hate me?" Naruto asked suddenly, his voice clipped and angry. "Does he really think I will go insane like Itachi did? Does he think I'll hurt people? Why would he _do _this to me?"

Shizune approached slowly and pulled Naruto into a hug. His body kept shaking every now and then, but he didn't say anything further.

She could have defended the Hokage, of course, explained his reasoning and pointed out that the law applied to all children equally, not just Naruto himself. The other ninja children were also advanced for their ages, and would likely manage to graduate two or three years early, even if they weren't quite at Naruto's level.

She understood Naruto's anger, at least to an extent. He had spent a lot of time discussing his early graduation with Ino and the other children, and they had eventually decided that Naruto should graduate as soon as possible, and the other kids would try to catch up to him. Ino in particular was pushing herself very hard, perhaps even too hard, in order to graduate along with Naruto.

Even if they didn't manage though, they had sworn that they would find a way to become teammates in the future. It had been quite touching when the adults heard about it, and they had all begun pulling strings in the background to help make that happen.

Then Itachi had gone rogue and the Hokage's new law had gone into effect, and all their effort and heartache and sacrifice had been rendered essentially meaningless with the stroke of a pen.

Shizune didn't feel like defending the Hokage, even if in this case Sarutobi believed he was helping Naruto and the other children. She would be perfectly happy if Naruto and Sarutobi had a severe falling out over this, although she didn't think it would go that far.

No, she decided to unleash Naruto on the Hokage while he was primed and ready to blow.

"You could always ask him yourself, you know…," Shizune said, a small smirk on her face.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:30 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hokage-sama… Naruto would like to see you. H-He's, um-," his secretary started to say over the communication seal.

"Oh, that's fine. Send him right on in. We might even make a lunch of it," the Hokage said cheerfully. It was unusual for Naruto to visit him while he was at work, but a welcome distraction whenever it happened.

"Al-alright, Hokage-sama," his secretary replied uncertainly.

The seals on the doorway flashed blue as they deactivated, and the door was pushed open. As it closed and he heard footsteps approaching, Sarutobi looked up, a smile on his face. "Ah, Naruto-kun, it's good to…," he trailed off, his smile fading quickly as he took in his surrogate grandson's appearance.

Naruto stood before his desk, hands clenched and a thunderous expression on his face. The marks on his cheeks, which had slowly been growing more and more prominent over the years, looked particularly dark against his flushed face. Before Sarutobi could gather his wits or even begin to figure out what was going on, Naruto began speaking, his voice a low hiss.

"Why would you do this to me? Do you hate me, is that it? Was this all some joke to get my hopes up, just so you could crush them personally and laugh at my pain? Is this the 'special arrangement' you talked about so long ago?"

"Wha-"

"What am I supposed to do now? Continue wasting my time learning nothing, letting my skills fade away until I'm just another faceless ninja? Is that what you want? Or do you think I'm just like Itachi? Do you think I'm going to snap and start killing random people? Do you think I'll kill Ino, is that it? Am I so untrustworthy? _Why?"_

If any of his ninja had dared storm into his office and rant like this, they would have quickly found themselves regretting their temper – but when his surrogate grandson stormed in, his expression moving between enraged and betrayed, Sarutobi found himself at a loss. Now that Naruto appeared to be finished, however, he finally got a chance to speak.

"Naruto-kun, what is going on? Why would you think I hate you? What do you think I've done?" Sarutobi asked, bewildered.

"That law… no one under the age of twelve can graduate and become a ninja," Naruto hissed.

Sarutobi finally began to understand why Naruto was so upset. "Naruto-kun, that law wasn't aimed at you, and it wasn't just because of Itachi. A lot of children have been forced into the ninja world far too young, and even if they don't snap like Itachi did they still bear the scars of that – Itachi was simply the last straw. That law should have been made many years ago," Sarutobi patiently explained.

"But what am _I _supposed to do?" Naruto cried out. "I've only got two months before I would have graduated, and I can't learn anything more from the Academy. That's four years of wasted time, and Ino-nee-chan and the others will soon be facing the same problem.

"I had already planned to start learning from Shizune-nee-chan the moment I graduated, and now I can't. So many other techniques and skills require a ninja license before you can learn them, and you just blocked all of those off until we're twelve," Naruto said firmly.

Sarutobi sat back in his chair. "Ah, I see. You aren't concerned so much about the graduation as you are the training, is that correct?"

Naruto hesitated, some of the heightened emotion fading from his face. "Well… yeah."

"In that case, I think we can work something out. I won't change the graduation age for anyone, but the Hokage can waive certain requirements in special circumstances, including rank requirements. There have been cases in the past where it was necessary for one reason or another to disclose techniques or information to those who didn't otherwise have the qualifications to acquire them. Would something like that satisfy you?" the Hokage offered.

Naruto appeared to consider that for a minute. "What would that mean, exactly?" he asked finally.

Sarutobi smiled, pleased that Naruto had calmed down and was actually thinking about things rationally now. "Well, with that waiver you would have the right to request training in any area available to a genin ninja, despite not being one yourself: techniques of C-rank or below; specialized taijutsu styles; more advanced stealth, tracking, and trapping; the sealing arts-"

Naruto's head snapped up at that last one. "Seals? Really? I've never been able to find anything about them, even though they seem so useful."

Sarutobi nodded sagely, "They are incredibly useful, but also quite dangerous and potentially unstable. I'm sure you've come across references to the explosion in the Land of Wind that occurred roughly one hundred years ago."

Naruto nodded, an odd expression on his face.

"Well, a lot of people think that's the sort of thing that can happen if you don't take seals seriously, and I agree. Sealing knowledge is carefully controlled and unsupervised experimentation is strictly forbidden until you have proven sufficient mastery of the subject. Konoha is very fortunate to have one of the only three acknowledged seal masters in all of the Elemental Nations, Jiraiya," the Hokage said, pride evident in his voice.

"Anyway, genin can begin studying and reproducing basic seals, but even then they aren't allowed to move further without a more experienced sealing specialist guiding them."

Naruto nodded, a speculative look on his face. "That sounds… good, but what happens if I learn all of that before I graduate? There have been plenty of ninja who went from genin to chuunin in less than four years."

"They were _promoted_, yes, but they hardly mastered everything available to a genin. Even you would have trouble doing that, I think. Still, should that come to pass we can reevaluate your situation then."

Naruto nodded to himself, and fell silent as he contemplated the Hokage's words. Sarutobi allowed him to think for a few minutes, then prompted him for a response. "Naruto-kun, do you think that would solve your problem? I understand your concern, but I am offering quite a lot here…," Sarutobi said.

Naruto opened his mouth, then shut it firmly just as quickly. After another few seconds, he nodded to himself. "Ino too. And the others."

"Hmm… I'll need to evaluate their skill levels, but I think that I can agree to that," Sarutobi said finally.

Naruto finally smiled, completely relaxing. "Thank you, Hokage-jii-san!" he said happily.

Sarutobi smiled back, relieved that he had been able to help Naruto and that their relationship seemed fully recovered from this little incident. A bit of paperwork and a few meetings with students was a minor price to pay for that.

Kuushou couldn't stop laughing inside Naruto's body. He had been genuinely pissed at first, but on the way to the Hokage's office he had begun to calm down and see the potential benefits of the situation. All it had taken was a guilt-trip and a betrayed look to get the Hokage to fold, and now he had all the training he could possibly want without having to worry about missions or other ninja duties. Further, he would _finally_ learn something more about seals as well.

Yes, this would work out just fine.

* * *

-September 15th, 342 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"Are you sure you want to start learning the Yamanaka mind techniques, Ino-chan?"

"Yes, Tou-san, I am. The sooner I start learning the better off I'll be, and the more I'll be able to help Naruto. I'm ready; I know all the theory by heart, my chakra control is more than good enough, and my reserves are sufficient as well."

Inoichi sighed, uncertain about what to do. He had been very proud about Ino's interest in training and amazed at her progress once she began applying herself – he had always thought of his daughter as brilliant, but she managed to surprise even him.

Then there was her intense focus, especially after she started attending the Academy. He knew it was very important to Ino to graduate along with Naruto, but she had really worried him with how hard she pushed herself. He actually had Shizune-sama check her over several times in the past year to make sure she wasn't damaging herself or her chakra networks. The check-ups went alright, but he had put his foot down and forbidden Ino from pushing any harder anyway. She had complained, but relented when Naruto stepped in and told her that he didn't want her hurting herself by training too hard. Inoichi was thankful for Naruto's help, but also a little disappointed that Ino valued her brother's opinion more than his own.

She had relented... and shifted her focus onto studying. She had advanced mentally as rapidly as she had physically, and she really was ready to begin learning the Yamanaka clan jutsu, even though Inoichi himself hadn't reached this point until he was already a genin.

If he was honest with himself, however, it wasn't the techniques that concerned him – it was the conversation he would have to have with Ino about why she could never, ever, _ever _use any of the Yamanaka mind techniques on Naruto. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't take his word for it; she might say the right words, but she would push the boundary and eventually try the technique despite his warnings... and then she would be dead.

He shivered at the thought and almost decided to refuse Ino on the spot, but controlled himself. This discussion was coming sooner or later, and perhaps it was better to get it over and done with. It's not like she would ever turn against her little brother anyway, especially not over something like this.

"Alright, Ino-chan. You can start learning the first technique tomorrow."

She squealed and hugged him, her "professional ninja" personality gone now that she had gotten what she wanted.

"However... we need to have a talk before that. Let's just... step into my office for a minute."

She looked a little confused, but followed along. Once they were settled down into the comfortable chairs with the privacy barrier firmly in place, he cleared his throat and began.

"Now, before I tell you what the secret is, you have to understand that this is a very important secret. I don't mean like an embarrassing secret, I mean an official ninja secret, an S-Rank secret. I can only tell you because the Hokage requires that all Yamanaka capable of using the mind techniques be informed. If you tell _anyone _that doesn't already know, you will be executed," Inoichi said firmly.

Ino paled, shocked that what she was about to hear was that important.

"If you don't think you can keep this secret, then tell me now and we can call this whole thing off."

Ino looked hesitant for a long moment. "Would I still be able to learn the mind techniques if you didn't tell me?" she asked quietly.

"No," Inoichi replied immediately, his voice firm, almost harsh. He wasn't about to risk losing his little girl because she wasn't properly warned. He'd never forgive himself, and he doubted Naruto would either.

Ino flinched slightly, unaccustomed to seeing her father this serious about anything. She was actually a little scared about this whole thing now; she hadn't expected anything like this when she asked for more training. She wasn't about to stop now, though. She couldn't be on a team with Naruto if she couldn't keep up, and she refused to ask him to slow down for her sake – and so she had to learn more jutsu.

Taking a deep breath, Ino straightened her spine and sat up fully in her chair. Once she felt prepared, she nodded shakily, unable to speak at the moment.

Inoichi sighed, and began to talk. "The secret has to do with the fate of the tailed beast which attacked Konoha eight years ago..."

Once Inoichi had explained the situation and Ino had gotten control of herself again, she asked quietly, "How come Naruto never talked about this? Would he be executed too?"

"He doesn't know."

Ino's disbelieving expression quickly shifted into a stubborn one, one that Inoichi recognized all too well. He _really _should have seen this coming. "Ino, you can't-"

"How can I not? How could you have _not _told him after all this time?"

"Ino-chan, please, there are very good reasons that-"

"Like what?" she snapped. That she had just snapped at her own father never even crossed her mind as she began to work herself into a righteous fury. "What could possibly be good enough to keep this from him? If it had been me, would you have kept the truth from me too? I feel bad enough, and it's not even my secret! How would he feel? How _is _he going to feel, when he finds out? Or did you never intend to tell him at all?"

Inoichi flinched. Ino had hit far too close for comfort, and her words dug into his already guilty conscience. He had asked himself these same questions before, and had no better answers now than he did then.

Inoichi grabbed hold of Ino as she started to march out of the room, probably intending to tell Naruto that very instant.

"Wait, wait," he said. "Don't- I'll-," he started to say, then finally sighed in resignation. At this point the only way he could prevent her from telling Naruto at the first opportunity, consequences be damned, was to either wipe the information from her mind or forbid her from ever talking to Naruto again. Either choice would destroy his relationship with his daughter.

"Just... let me talk to the Hokage, alright?"

"... Fine," Ino relented. "But if he doesn't tell him, I will!"

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hey Hokage-jii-san, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, Naruto-kun, Inoichi here raised an interesting point that there was certain information you should be made aware of," the Hokage said, sending a glare towards Inoichi.

Inoichi flinched, and was already dreading the required sessions with Gai, but it was either this or watch Ino get executed for telling Naruto the secret. This would also make his daughter happy and relieve his own sense of guilt, though, so he couldn't really bring himself to feel that bad about it. He'd probably have a very different perspective on things once he had begun "training" with Gai, however.

"Oh? What's that, Tou-san?" Naruto said. It had taken Inoichi over a year, but he had finally managed to get Naruto to refer to him as something other than "Yamanaka-san."

"Er, well, the Hokage is going to explain, actually," Inoichi said lamely.

Naruto turned his attention back to the Hokage, cocking his head to the side curiously. His expression didn't change in the slightest as the Hokage explained about the attack and the sealing.

Both Inoichi and Sarutobi felt uneasy at Naruto's lack of reaction. "Naruto-kun, did you understand what I said?" the Hokage asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Hokage-jii-san. It's just... was I not supposed to know? I mean, I know _other _people weren't supposed to know, but you didn't think I knew?"

Sarutobi's jaw slowly dropped down. "Y-you knew... since when? Who told you?"

"I've known for as long as I can remember," Naruto replied, his head still cocked to the side.

Inoichi's eyes suddenly widened and he groaned in understanding. The Hokage looked at him expectantly.

Inoichi's buried his face in his hands. "Of course... he remembers everything since ANBU HQ," he muttered to himself. He looked back up at Naruto. "It was the 'mask people', wasn't it?" he said out loud, using the term Naruto had initially used for the ANBU in his earliest memories. "That's how you found out."

Naruto just nodded.

Sarutobi's own eyes widened in understanding. "Why did you never say anything?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto shrugged. "No one wanted to talk about it, and there wasn't really anything to say. It was over and done with, and it's not like people treated me badly because of it."

"That's... very mature of you, Naruto-kun. I suppose I should have expected that." He shook himself. "Well, now that we all know that we all know, is there anything else you'd like to ask? About your parents, perhaps?"

Inoichi shot the Hokage a hurt look, but stayed silent.

Naruto shrugged again. "I have parents, the Yamanakas. Why should I care about the people who conceived me when they abandoned me?"

Inoichi's face glowed with pride and happiness, but Sarutobi's face was ashen. "No! They didn't abandon you! Your father died fighting the tailed beast, a hero of Konoha. I'm sure he loved you very much."

"And my mother? Where is she?"

Sarutobi had never hated himself more than at this moment. "She... left," he said, looking away.

"Then she is alive, and left me behind. Thus, abandoned," Naruto said firmly. "If that's all, then I would like to go home now, _Tou-san," _Naruto said pointedly, looking at Inoichi. Inoichi nodded slowly, sensing the tension in the air between Naruto and the Hokage. He looked back nervously as he escorted Naruto out of the room, but the Hokage didn't look at them.

"She... that's not...," he mumbled to himself. "I'm so sorry, Kushina."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:30 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was waiting for them when they got back. She walked straight to Naruto, said "I don't care," and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"So you don't think I'm the tailed beast?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hmph. You're my little brother, and that's all there is to it," Ino said firmly. "Anyone who says otherwise can go f-"

"Ino!" Inoichi interrupted, looking stern, though he was struggling to keep from laughing himself. Now that everyone in the family knew, it was like a weight he didn't even know was there had been lifted from his shoulders. Apparently having to keep the secret from Ino and Naruto had affected him more than he had realized.

"Besides, some stupid tailed beast wouldn't have saved me from that Kumo ninja, it wouldn't have made me feel better when I thought you would hate me, and it certainly wouldn't be smart enough to listen to his beautiful brilliant older sister!" she said, laughing.

Naruto began laughing too, letting out a low chuckle. "No, I suppose 'some stupid tailed beast' wouldn't," he said, grinning. "I'm very happy to hear you say that, Ino-nee-chan."

"See? You know when your sister is right! Which is all the time, of course," she said, grinning.

* * *

-Same Day-

-5:00 PM-

-Shikamaru Nara's Residence-

"So, what did the Hokage call you in for? Did you manage to weasel more concessions out of him this time?" Shikamaru said as he moved his Silver General forward with a firm _clack_. "Please say no, my mom has been pushing me to practice my shadow techniques even more now that I can learn the useful ones."

Naruto snorted. "No, no more waivers," he said as he moved his own piece on the board. "He just wanted to talk to me about something. It didn't take that long... turns out I already knew all about it, so it was really a wasted trip."

"Hmm...," Shikamaru replied thoughtfully. It was unclear if he was thinking about Naruto's reply or the situation on the board. Knowing him, it was both. He grinned suddenly. "Checkmate," he said, moving his piece with another firm _clack._

"Yep... saw that one coming a few moves back, couldn't get out of it. Where does that leave the score again?" Naruto asked, smirking.

"Troublesome... you've still got a three game lead, as if you didn't already know."

"Ah, but I like to hear you say it," Naruto replied. He paused thoughtfully as they reset the board for their next game.

"Hey Shika... want to know a secret?"

* * *

-September 19th, 342 NE-

-4:00 PM-

-Uchiha Training Grounds-

Sasuke stared at the training post, fists clenched. His knuckles were ripped and torn, blood slowly dripping from his hands and dropping to the ground with a small _plop._ He didn't notice.

"_Foolish little brother," Itachi said, poking him in the middle of the forehead with a small smile on his normally expressionless face._

Roughly thirty feet away a training target stood, riddled with kunai. A few had landed outside the painted rings, but most were clustered near the center of the target, and some had landed firmly in the bulls-eye. He didn't care.

"_So you played with the other children today? Did you have fun?" Itachi asked._

"_Nii-san! We weren't playing, we were training!" Sasuke protested._

_Itachi just smiled, his hand moving upward and his index finger already extended._

Sasuke's clothing was torn and rumpled, and his pants were covered with dirt and grass stains. He paid his disheveled state no mind.

"_Fight me, Nii-san!" Sasuke yelled. "I know you fight with Naruto, so why won't you fight me?"_

_Itachi just looked at him with a blank face. He rarely smiled at Sasuke anymore, and never poked him in the forehead like he used to._

"_I do not 'fight' with Naruto. I train him," Itachi said, and turned to walk away._

"_What's the difference?" Sasuke cried out, frustrated._

"_Everything."_

Sasuke had the training ground to himself today, as he had every day since his father's disastrous rebellion. The Uchiha District used to teem with activity, the clan preferring to stick close to each other and trade internally whenever possible. The clan would use their own private training grounds more often than they would the public training grounds around the perimeter of the village.

Always before when he would train there would be at least one other member of his extended family present, often more. Now the clan had dispersed, scattered throughout Konoha. He rarely saw any Uchiha other than his own mother and brother after the rebellion; the others had started shunning his family, though they pretended otherwise.

"_Kaa-san, why does no one visit anymore?" Sasuke asked at breakfast one morning._

_His mother sighed quietly. Her face was haggard and her eyes had dark circles around them, and she rarely smiled now. He missed her smiles._

"_They don't like to be reminded of what your father did," she replied, aimlessly poking at the food on her plate. _

"_But it's not our fault!" Sasuke replied indignantly._

"_No, it isn't," she said._

"_But... aren't you the clan head now? Don't they have to listen to you?"_

_His mother just smiled sadly._

That had been before Itachi tried to kill Naruto and became a missing-nin. He had thought the rest of his family had been distant before. He had thought the other people in Konoha had been somewhat reserved before. Now...

Sasuke let out a scream as he began pounding on the training post, blood flying through the air with every blow. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fa-

He was interrupted as someone wrapped their arms around him, pinning his own arms to his sides. He struggled for a moment before he heard his mother's voice sobbing in his ear.

"Please stop, Sasuke-kun. Stop."

He slowly relaxed before he turned around inside his mother's embrace and threw his arms around her neck.

"It's not fair!" he wailed, tears coming to his eyes.

"No honey, it's not. It's never fair. But I'm here, and I won't leave you," she consoled him, rocking him gently. Sobs wracked his body as he held onto his mother tightly. Mikoto was also crying, though she kept her attention focused on Sasuke.

"Why?" he finally asked after he had cried himself to exhaustion.

"I don't know, Sasuke-kun. I don't know," she answered, hugging him tighter.

* * *

-October 21st, 342 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Uchiha Clan Head's Residence-

"Who is it?" Mikoto called out through the door. No one had tried to attack her or Sasuke yet, but she no longer felt as safe and welcome in the village as she used to. Someone would eventually decide to try, and she didn't plan to make it easy for them.

"Kiku Yamanaka and Yoshino Nara," a voice answered.

Mikoto opened the door hesitantly, suspicion on her face and her sharingan activated. The voice sounded like Kiku, but voices could be faked. It wasn't Kiku who convinced her though; it was the sight of Naruto standing behind her, his red aura brighter than ever; there was no possible way to fake that. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino were there as well.

"Hello, Yamanaka-san," Mikoto finally said as she shut off her sharingan and opened the door fully. "Can I help you?"

Kiku smiled softly. "The children wanted to visit Sasuke, and Yoshino and I realized we hadn't seen you in awhile. We thought you might like some company."

Mikoto stared at them for a long moment, then suddenly turned away. Kiku still caught a glimpse of the raw emotion on the former kunoichi's face though, and knew she had made the right decision.

"Of course," Mikoto said after a few seconds, her voice thick. "Come on in."

* * *

-A Small Outpost in the Land of Whirlpools-

_A yellow flash suddenly went off in the room, and Kushina tensed for a moment before realizing what it was. She smiled gently as she turned to look at her husband. He had ink smudges all over his hands and face, and his expression was strained. He managed a smile though as he looked at his wife and newborn child._

_"Hey honey," Kushina said softly, hefting the bundle in her arms slightly. "Look who it is, Naruto. It's your father."_

_Minato moved closer and looked down at his son. The small tufts of yellow hair made him chuckle. "I told you the yellow would win in the end," he said quietly, reaching out a hand to stroke Naruto's head._

_Kushina stuck out her tongue quickly before smiling herself. "It doesn't matter, he's still beautiful... even if he is blond," she joked. She moved a strand of her vibrant red hair over Naruto's head, humming thoughtfully._

_"Can... can I hold him?" Minato asked quietly._

_Kushina just nodded and lifted Naruto to allow Minato to take him more easily. Minato reached out, hands trembling, and took the bundle. "He's so heavy," he choked out._

_"Yeah, he's a big, strong, healthy boy. Our son," Kushina replied. She felt like crying a bit herself, seeing Minato so worked up over holding his child. She let out a sudden gasp as she felt a massive surge of chakra in the battle._

_"Minato... what's going on out there?" she asked. "How is the battle going?"_

_"I'm not sure, I had Sarutobi take over so I could prepare the... so I could prepare," Minato replied, still focused on Naruto. "I don't think it's going well, but it will be over soon. Very soon now," he repeated quietly to himself._

_"What are we fighting, though? What was that sound? Is it enemy ninja?" Kushina pressed, her ninja side coming to the front for a moment._

_Minato smoothed back Naruto's hair and just stared at his son for a long moment, tears dripping down his face. Kushina felt a pang of unease._

_"Minato, what-"_

_"It's a tailed beast. A nine-tailed beast," he said suddenly._

_"A tailed...," Kushina's voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she took in the ink stains on Minato and remembered the seal he had been studying these last few months. "Minato," she said insistently, "give me Naruto." Her hands reached out to take back her child._

_Minato took a quick step backward, his arms folding around the bundle protectively as he clutched his son to his chest. He shook his head. "I... I have to do this. It's the only way."_

_"Minato," Kushina said again, struggling to move her body out of the bed. She cursed her weak state; Naruto's birth had been long and difficult, even with Tsunade's help. "Don't do this. Please. Just... just give me Naruto."_

_"If it's any comfort," he said, his voice strained and tears spilling freely down his face, "you won't have to kill me yourself."_

_Kushina was crying as she begged, "Please, don't. Please."_

_Minato barely managed to choke out the words "I'm sorry," before he disappeared from the hospital room._

Kushina woke with a gasp. That nightmare always left her feeling helpless and weak, even years after the actual event and after enduring it at least once a week ever since. Of course, that it was a memory rather than a nightmare didn't help matters any. It was a horrible memory, the memory of when her life had begun to go wrong - though the worst betrayal came a few days later.

She couldn't even hate Minato, not really. It hurt _so much _to know that he had just taken her son without even asking her opinion, but she missed him far more. She also understood him, understood his self-sacrificing tendencies and his need to protect everyone he could. She had witnessed the nights where he forgot to sleep, so focused was he on his work as Hokage. She had seen the personal sacrifices he made, the sacrifices they both made, to allow him to spend as much time as possible helping the village.

And his expression, just before he disappeared from the hospital room... she knew he hated himself for his actions far more than she ever could, but he still did it – for the good of the village.

That same village that had taken her son from her without so much as an apology. They didn't even remember her anymore, convinced somehow that she had perished in the battle with the tailed beast. She knew who to blame for that; the one to blame for everything wrong in her life it seemed – Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She felt her blood pounding in her veins as she thought of that two-faced bastard, his smiling, kindly facade masking the ruthless and remorseless ninja who had lived far too long. How she longed for the day when she could plunge her sword into his black heart and spit in his face as he died.

He had stolen her son – his life was the least she could take from him in return.

* * *

**A/N: Closing in on the end of Part 1 now; some hints of events going on outside of Konoha and one more important event within Konoha remain.**

**This chapter wraps up the Itachi incident and its aftermath and also reveals some more information about what happened with Kushina and Tsunade. This still isn't the whole story regarding that particular situation, obviously, but it will be interesting to see what you can infer from the information so far.  
**

**Two more chapters coming this weekend: one tomorrow and one on Sunday. I'll probably be averaging two to three chapters a week from here on out, unless I get another random burst of creativity that keeps me up til 2 AM. Those are awesome, but getting up the next morning sucks.**


	15. Acceleration

-November 7th, 342 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Kuushou stood next to the river as he prepared for his latest experiment. His close-range abilities, even aside from simply manifesting his youki, were coming along nicely. His ranged abilities, on the other hand, had stalled. He had found a few simple techniques that hurled rocks or water into the distance, but they were generally less accurate and far slower than just throwing a kunai, and the increased damage they could potentially inflict meant nothing if they did not connect. All the useful ranged techniques, the kind he would need if he were to engage in a true battle with an enemy ninja, required chakra to sustain them... except for a few wind techniques.

He had finally settled on the so-called "battle element" as his best solution. Fire had proven nearly useless to him, and the stone and water techniques available to him were mostly defensive in nature, augmenting an area that he really needed no help with. Lightning was completely useless for his purposes – any lightning technique he had found mention of was merely a lesser implementation of something he could do with his youki already – he was trying to find new techniques, not replicate ones he already had access to. There may be hope in the higher ranked techniques, but he didn't have access to them yet, and likely wouldn't for some time.

Wind, on the other hand, sounded nearly perfect for his needs. Both the close-range and long-range techniques sounded incredibly useful and added cutting power to his traditional brute force approach. There was something incredibly appealing about creating a blade made of essentially nothing that could cut through solid steel... although he hadn't actually found the jutsu that could supposedly do that yet. Pity.

Still, he _had _found the Air Bullet technique. It didn't require advanced elemental manipulation, instead simply compressing air inside the user's body then expelling it. It also didn't require chakra to maintain once it left the user's body, relying instead on speed to give it range. Done properly, the jutsu could strike far faster than any thrown kunai, and was thus – supposedly – very difficult to dodge.

Kuushou ran through the handsigns, once again making sure to use the lowest youki concentration he could. With a sharp inhalation, he launched the technique.

The ball of compressed air hit the water with a small splash, creating a fine mist that dissipated quickly. He cursed; it looked like it had worked but that was incredibly weak – certainly not battle-worthy, even for a C-rank technique. He tried again, using a higher youki concentration to form a much denser ball of air that was still roughly the same size.

The water in front of him seemed to explode, showering the area around him with water. He could just make out a long trench roughly a foot wide digging into the river bed before the surrounding water poured in to fill the empty space.

He blinked slowly, wiping the water from his face. That was... much better. Still, time to try it on something other than water now.

He turned, sighting on a tree roughly fifty feet away.

A sharp crack echoed through the clearing as he watched a section in the middle of the tree shatter into splinters. With a laugh he ran towards the tree... and past it, to the next tree, which was similarly broken. And the next. He certainly hadn't expected this sort of penetrating power, but it was most welcome; and no backlash from the damn seal interfering either.

He stopped running nearly three hundred feet out as the damage finally stopped completely. The damage inflicted by the technique had slowly tapered off after the first tree, but it was still sufficient to blast through several trees and cover a considerable distance in a very brief period of time; he certainly hadn't seen anyone do _that _with a kunai. Of course, that was actually too strong for his purposes, but he could perfect the chakra-youki ratio later. Right now he would celebrate the fact that he finally had a usable long-range attack, even if it was only the one.

* * *

-December 1st, 342 NE-

-9:00 AM-

-Konoha Academy-

Sakura Haruno observed the Yamanaka siblings out of the corner of her eye. It was the first day of the second year of the Academy, and already they were the center of attention once again. They made it seem so effortless, so natural; she wished she could do that.

She had spent all of last year trying to work up the courage to approach their group; she wasn't even certain what she would have done or said once she had, however, and she never managed to actually do it. They and the other "Clan Kids" as they were known were leagues ahead of the rest of the class, and they were all so familiar with one another. Everyone in the class wanted to be part of the group, or at least emulate their relaxed manner and absurd level of skill. She on the other hand came from a civilian background, with the stigma that came with it.

Konoha didn't discourage civilians from joining the ninja program, quite the opposite in fact, but so many civilian kids didn't take the training seriously or were forced into it because their parents wanted them to participate rather than out of a personal desire. Thanks to that, a large number of civilian children dropped out of the program or were transferred to the "Common Genin" classes to become artisans or messenger ninja. That path was quite lucrative and respected, but there was still the sense that they had "failed" somehow. More importantly, it wasn't what Sakura wanted for herself. She wanted to be a strong kunoichi like Tsume-sama or Shizune-sama.

The tests at the end of the first year had shown that she definitely had the potential to make it all the way through the Academy; she had ranked ninth overall and third on the kunoichi lists, falling just behind the "Clan Kids" in the ranks in both cases. Instead of garnering respect and admiration from her classmates, however, it just served to isolate her.

The students from ninja families outside of the "Clan Kids" hated being shown up by a civilian and constantly made fun of her. The other civilian children thought she was showing off and felt like they were pressured to work even harder to keep up with her. They too spurned her attempts at making friends.

The "Clan Kids" themselves had been friendly and polite whenever they happened to interact with her, but they didn't seek her out – or any of the other kids in the class, for that matter – and disappeared as soon as classes were over, returning to their clan compounds for additional training from their families or to train with each other. She couldn't say if she really even registered to them, or if she was just one of their many classmates. She had heard rumors that they were all trying to graduate after a single year, and that Naruto was already practically guaranteed to do so with Ino close behind.

Then that minimum graduation age law had been passed.

She had expected them to be upset about it, but other than the Nara boy saying "troublesome" even more than usual none of them seemed to react or even care.

She watched curiously as Shikamaru called the group together and they consulted about something, whispering too lowly for her to make out any of what they were saying. One of them would scan the room every now and then, as if looking for something, before returning to the conversation. After a few minutes, there were nods all around and Naruto stood up.

She watched curiously as he began walking across the room, heading in her general direction. She glanced around, wondering what he was looking for. She was seated near the back of the room, alone, and there really wasn't anything interesting or useful back here.

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto said suddenly.

Sakura squeaked, then blushed. She couldn't believe that Naruto Yamanaka had come over here just to talk to her.

"Um, yes?" she replied.

"You ranked ninth overall last year, didn't you?" Naruto asked, smiling encouragingly.

"Um, yes?" she said again, slightly confused.

"That's what I thought," Naruto said, his smile widening. "The others and I got to talking, see. We'll be graduating in three years and we'll be split up into teams of three. The problem is that there's only eight of us, so two of us could get paired with somebody we don't know or like. We got our heads together and decided that we could fix that by just picking our own ninth team member. If we have three years of working together, there's no way the teachers will try to break us up."

Sakura nodded mutely. That certainly made a lot of sense, and showed a great deal of foresight and planning.

"Well?" Naruto asked expectantly.

"Um... what?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Are you going to join us or not?"

Sakura gaped. "You... want _me_ to...," she trailed off.

"Um, yes?" Naruto said with a grin.

"You don't want another ninja kid? Everyone would love to join your group."

"I'm sure they would, but we don't want just anyone. The other ninja kids had access to experienced ninja at home and had every chance to train just as long and hard as we did, and they chose not to. You, on the other hand, come from a civilian family and didn't have those advantages; everything you've done was all you. _That's _what we want. We want _you – _hard-working, intelligent, dedicated Sakura Haruno. We all like you too, so that certainly helps."

Sakura was blushing bright red at this point, inarticulate squeaking sounds escaping from her mouth. Their conversation had finally drawn the attention of the rest of the class, most of them looking as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing. She noticed Ino stomping over and wondered if the group had changed their minds. There was just no way they really wanted her, was there?

Ino shoved Naruto to the side, muttering under her breath. "Honestly, couldn't you have done this without embarrassing her like that?" she said to Naruto. She then turned to face Sakura and smiled, holding out her hand. "Come on, Sakura. You can sit with us from now on."

Sakura hesitantly reached out her hand and took Ino's, part of her still not believing this was really happening. That feeling lasted nearly the whole day, only fading entirely when she was being introduced to half the clan heads in Konoha as "the newest member of the team."

* * *

-March 13th, 343 NE-

-7:00 AM-

-Land of Wind, near Sunagakure no Sato (the Village Hidden in the Sand)-

A lone figure trudged slowly through the sand. His entire form was shrouded in light, loose fitting clothing, a scarf wrapped around his head providing protection from the sun that was already beating down upon the broken earth. He carried a long staff on his back, one end wrapped in cloth that concealed whatever capped the staff. He also carried a large pack on his back, though he did not seem to notice the weight.

"He's definitely around here, Kounori?" he asked aloud, though no one replied.

"Well that's not very helpful, is it? 'In the desert'? That's the best you can do? … No, I understand that. … Yeah, I hate it here too, far too dry. … Yeah, most likely. Means we can't get to him though, with all the ninja around the area. Suna's not exactly welcoming of visitors these days.

"No, they were definitely headed in this direction. … _No, _I didn't lose them. They're good, but not that good. Who do you think I am? … Yes, thank you. I'm so glad you approve."

The man sighed, finally stopping his trek through the sands. He pulled the scarf from his head, wiping his face and pulling out a canteen. He poured a bit of water over his head, dampening his gray hair. A long scar ran from the bottom of his left eye all the way down his cheek, and his pink, pupiless eyes were squinting in the harsh glare of the sun. He took a long drink, then stowed his canteen away and began wrapping the scarf back around his head.

"Still, this should be enough to confirm his presence, right? … On to number four then? … Yeah, Kumo is next. … At least it will be cooler. … Me too."

* * *

-June 12th, 343 NE-

-9:30 PM-

-Konoha-

Anko Mitarashi was in the middle of relating the greatly exaggerated tale of her latest mission to her companions Kurenai Yuuhi and Yuugao Uzuki, a half-eaten skewer of dango waving wildly through the air as she gestured, when she was rudely interrupted.

"Hey, I know you! You're the snake wh- lady!" a man said loudly, voice slightly slurred. The noise level in the bar fell for a moment before the chatter resumed even louder than before. If the man had been paying attention he would have noticed a lot of bets taking place and money being slapped on tables.

"I hear you like a good time... I think I can help with that," the man leered. His eyes wandered over Anko's body, taking in her tan trenchcoat that hung wide open to reveal a tight skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs and a mesh bodysuit. The nearly see-through material technically covered everything while still managing to emphasize Anko's curves; she was in excellent shape and had absolutely no problems showing it off.

Kurenai and Yuugao just groaned, but Anko eyed the man for a moment before grinning widely. "Oh, I guarantee I can show you something you'll _never _forget. Come with me, big boy...," Anko motioned, and led him out of the bar.

The betting reached a fever pitch as the door closed behind her. Kurenai and Yuugao exchanged a long look, consulted briefly, and added their own money into the pool.

A few seconds later a loud scream of horror echoed from outside and Anko strolled back into the bar, flipping through a wallet. The bar fell silent as she made her way back to the table, whistling merrily.

She picked up her dango skewer and pulled off the last bite with a moan of satisfaction.

"Well?" shouted someone from the crowd.

Anko finally deigned to notice that the rest of the bar was waiting on her to say something. "What? Oh... poisonous, of course. He interrupted my story!"

Shouts of victory and groans of disappointment echoed throughout the bar, and Kurenai and Yuugao shared a grin as they collected their winnings. Anko just laughed before waving the wallet in the air.

"Free round for everybody and another plate of dango, courtesy of... uh, whatever his name was!" Anko yelled before sitting back down at her table. Praise for "Anko-sama!" rang throughout the bar.

"Kami bless the civilians," she said, "I might have to pay for my own food without their donations! Dango is wonderful, but free dango is even better!"

Kurenai snorted. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Nah, he'll be fine... eventually. His little friend may never be the same though," Anko said, smirking.

"Now, where was I..."

* * *

-September 18th, 343 NE-

-A Small Tavern in the Land of Water-

"They're trying to keep it quiet, but-"

"Oh _come on! _Has the whole village gone missing this time?" Jiraiya asked.

"Will you let me finish? I like my dramatic reveals, thank you very much. It may not be as polished as your books – your wonderful, incredible, amazing, delightful books... ahem – but I do a good job, don't I?"

Jiraiya sighed, but waved him on. "Go ahead..."

"_Thank _you. Now, as I was saying... They're trying to keep it quiet, but they just sent out four whole squads of hunter-nin after somebody."

Jiraiya waited for a few seconds, but his informant didn't add anything else. "That's it? That's all you've got?"

"Hey, it's four whole squads! They've gotta be after some big fish! Heh, maybe they tracked down Hoshigaki!"

Despite the terrible joke, Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh a little. Hoshigaki's shark-like appearance had always amused him, though people who faced the former Swordsman in battle usually had nightmares about it and that damn sword of his instead.

"Anyway, that's gotta be worth something, right?"

"Yeah, it is... it's worth you buying me a bottle of sake for wasting my damn time," Jiraiya said, snatching the bottle off the table and heading for the door.

"Hey! Come on, gimme somethin' here! I can't help it that things have been quiet!"

"Not my problem. I'll reconsider when you actually have a name or a destination."

"Tch... hey, did you hear about what Sword and Hammer did in-"

"For the love of Kami, _yes!_" Jiraiya shouted, and slammed the door behind him as he left the room.

* * *

-October 11th, 343 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"I appreciate all of your efforts in ANBU, Kakashi, and I'm sorry to see you leave. Still, you were in for a very long time, so perhaps it's for the best that you are returning to the less... demanding side of the ninja force."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, bowing.

"Do you have any immediate plans? Any intention to use your... _eight months _of accrued leave?"

"I was thinking of taking a genin team actually, Hokage-sama."

"I'm very happy to hear that. I think you would make an excellent teacher, and your students will certainly benefit from your vast experience and jutsu repertoire. Minato would be proud of you."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Speaking of Minato... this decision wouldn't have anything to do with Naruto graduating in a few years, would it?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage just chuckled. "Of course not. Well, I'll see you in two weeks for the team assignments. And, Kakashi?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"_Do _try to be on time?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Hokage-sama."

* * *

-April 1st, 344 NE-

-Near the Border of the Land of Rain-

Orochimaru cursed as he fled. The constant rain soaking the ground made it difficult to move quickly, even with his chakra aiding his footing. Just a few more minutes, though, and he would be out of the storm and the threat it represented, away with his prize. He let a small chuckle escape; all his efforts will have paid off handsomely, as soon as he made it to-

"Hello Orochimaru," Itachi said. "I think you have something that belongs to me."

Orochimaru stopped in his tracks, staring at the young man who had appeared before him. Itachi's hair was matted down by the rain, and his solid black cloak was parted slightly, showing the already drawn sword in his hands.

Orochimaru began to laugh quietly. "Ah, everything seems to be going my way today. First I claim my prize," he said, patting the bundle secured to his back, "and then another dearly held wish of mine is fulfilled without any effort on my part." His words were sibilant, and his yellow slitted eyes glowed eerily in the darkness of the storm.

Itachi smiled slightly. "If you wanted to die, you could have just asked nicely," he said.

"No, I think I'll be taking your eyes instead. You won't have any use for them after I'm done with you, boy."

"You can have them if you like," Itachi said, still smiling softly. Orochimaru's confident smirk faltered as he heard the Uchiha's words and relaxed tone. "I haven't needed them for years."

He suddenly blurred forward, sword flashing. Orochimaru barely managed to dodge in time, and the battle began.

* * *

-August 4th, 344 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-A Small Outpost in the Land of Whirlpools-

"We got another letter from Konoha," Tsunade called out.

Kushina immediately stopped her training exercise and hurried to Tsunade's side. "Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Hmm... no attacks since Itachi, progressing very rapidly in his med-nin training," she recited, not bothering to keep the smug tone out of her voice as she read that part. "Started studying seals, got a girlfriend, mastered a-"

"_What?" _Kushina yelped.

"Oh, sorry, that was just Ino again," Tsunade corrected, smirking.

"Still not funny," Kushina growled, though she too was smirking a little. They both found Ino's relationship with Naruto adorable. They were happy he got along so well with his adoptive family, even if they wished he was with them instead; it made their own situation a little easier to bear.

* * *

-December 6th, 344 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Or should I say, Kuushou?"

"Ah, Itachi, I thought that was you. So nice to see you again. I must say, you are looking... relaxed."

"I followed your advice, and you were right; the world looks very different now. I feel more... alive than I ever did here."

Kuushou grinned. "So, ready to hear more?"

"Before that, I just happened to stumble across something you might find very interesting..." Itachi said, pulling a large scroll out of his cloak. "I think even you will learn something new from this."

Kuushou unrolled the scroll, reading quickly. A low growl issued from his throat as he saw what was written within. "Where did you get this?" he snarled.

Itachi smirked. "Oh, a little snake just dropped it in my lap before it slithered away."

Kuushou grinned, sensing an amusing story there. Still, he kept his attention focused. "What do you know about this 'Akatsuki'?"

* * *

-April 23rd, 345 NE-

-1:30 AM-

-Sunagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Sand)-

Gaara sat silently as he stared out at the city. His eyes were dull and listless, though every now and then they would twitch or crease in pain.

His "family," and he used the term loosely, was currently asleep in the building below him. He knew they were related by blood, but he also knew that the constant terror in their eyes when they looked at him wasn't normal for a family. He'd observed enough other people to know that real families didn't look at each other like that.

Still, Kankuro and Temari were the only ones who would get anywhere near him, terrified or not, and they kept coming back even after he threatened to kill them. He wasn't even sure himself if he meant the threats or not. There were times he'd kill anyone just to make the voice in his head shut up. He'd done it before, and would do it again. It never worked for long, of course, but sometimes those few minutes of peace were worth it.

He envied them their sleep – envied everyone their sleep, really. Every night he wondered what it was like as he sat staring at the city bathed in moonlight. Did they feel nothing as they slept? Did they "dream" of happy things? What must it be like, to feel 'rested' and 'refreshed'?

He had killed the last person who told him he looked tired. He'd actually enjoyed that one, watching with a vicious grin on his face as his sand slowly squeezed the man to death one inch at a time. He'd never bothered to learn the man's name, before or after.

Temari and Kankuro had avoided him for a week.

Was sleep like death? He thought he'd heard someone say that, once. Maybe he was doing all those people a favor, letting them sleep forever and ever. He'd tried to crush himself to see, but the sand that protected him blocked the sand that was trying to crush him, and ultimately he accomplished nothing. He'd killed two people the next day – one for the voice, one for himself. It didn't help.

He tried not to think that everyone else in the city was asleep at the moment – it made him want to crush the entire village in an endless sea of sand. He couldn't do that, though. It wouldn't stop the voice for long, and then he'd have no one left to kill and the voice would never, ever stop. Just the thought of that made him shiver.

He hated the night. He hated the peaceful scenery. He hated the quiet. He hated the stillness.

It made the endless screaming in his head seem that much louder.

* * *

-October 25th, 345 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Konoha Academy-

"Congratulations to all of you on successfully graduating from the Academy! This is a significant achievement and sets you on the path to becoming a strong and successful ninja of this village," Iruka Umino called out, smiling. "On a personal note, I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. You have worked very hard and truly earned this. You should be proud of yourselves as well."

The graduates in the room sat up a little bit straighter after hearing their teacher praise them.

Iruka cleared his throat roughly, then continued. "Now, as promised, all of you will be receiving your team assignments today. Starting with Team One..."

Neji shifted impatiently as the names were rattled off, keeping an ear out for his own name. Finally, he heard it.

"Team Nine: Hyuuga, Neji; Higurashi, Tenten; Rock, Lee." Iruka recited. Neji kept his face neutral as he considered his new teammates. Tenten was fine, but Lee...

Neji could sympathize with Lee's troubles and was honestly impressed with the incredible level of effort and raw talent it had taken his fellow student to graduate from the elite Academy without being able to use either ninjutsu or genjutsu. He had helped Lee out on occasion himself, giving him the occasional pointer on throwing techniques or agreeing to a spar every now and then.

He didn't have a problem with Lee on a personal level, but he worried how Lee would perform out in the field. In battle he had a feeling Lee would do well, but it was all the little things ninja took for granted, all the minor ninjutsu and genjutsu that they used without even thinking about it that would trip Lee up.

Tenten on the other hand he had no such concerns about. A civilian earning the Kunoichi of the Year title was practically unheard of, and she had overcome a Nara, an Akimichi, and an Inuzuka to earn it. She could pose a challenge to the likes of Ino, Sakura, and Hinata-sama if she tried.

Hmm... there was a thought. He'd have to invite his new teammates to the training sessions. Some fresh challengers and new perspectives could push their skills in new and interesting directions. Tenten's talent with throwing weapons in particular was the best he'd ever seen, bar none, and Lee's focus on taijutsu could mix up the bouts a bit.

Tenten and Lee joined him at his desk as they waited for their instructor to arrive. They chatted quietly about who their instructor might be and what they would be like for a few minutes as they watched the other teams slowly leave the room..

"Yosh! I am Gai Maito, jounin instructor of Team Nine! Team Nine, to me!" a loud voice cried out from the doorway of the classroom. All sound in the room ceased as every student still in the room turned to stare.

Standing in the doorway was a tall, heavily muscled man in a green jumpsuit, with orange legwarmers and a jounin flak vest worn over it. His black hair was arranged in a bowl cut and his eyebrows were incredibly large. His appearance, astonishing as it was, was not the only reason why the room was silent, though.

Gai Maito had one hand thrust forward giving a thumbs up, and a wide smile on his face. Even as Neji watched, a stray beam of light struck the man's teeth with a nearly audible _ping_, and his blindingly white teeth shone even brighter for a moment.

No one said a word.

"No! This won't do! You are still young, you must be burning with the flames of youth! Now, Team Nine, to me!" Gai cried out again.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee slowly stood up and began walking down the stairs towards the doorway. The other students in the room shot them pitying looks, but Gai's smile just seemed to grow even brighter.

"Yosh! My youthful students have finally come forth! Let us adjourn to Training Ground Nine where we shall introduce ourselves and revel in the springtime of youth!" Gai said, and then dashed away, not even waiting to see if his students were following.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee shared a long look before Tenten finally spoke. "It's... a test. Yeah. We just have to past the test and everything will go back to normal."

Neji and Lee didn't look convinced, but they nodded and set off towards the designated training ground.

As they began to run, Neji recalled what his father had said about Gai Maito. It had been around the same time as _the incident_ and had been shunted aside by the other events of that time period, but it came rushing back to him now. He could recall his father dragging himself into their house looking like a giant bruise and the words that he had said in response to Neji's concern.

"_Gai Maito... is absolutely... fucking... insane."_

* * *

-March 15th, 346 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"So _this _is where you sneak off to, little brother?" Ino asked, observing the clearing. "It's pretty nice, but did you have to go so far out?"

"It's private and has everything I need. I've actually grown rather fond of it over the years," Naruto replied, sitting against the base of a tree. Ino plopped down in front of him.

"So what did you bring me out here for? Need your older sister to give you some more training tips?"

"Perhaps, but there's something we need to talk about first," Naruto said. If Ino wasn't mistaken, he actually sounded... nervous?

"What's up, little brother? You know you can talk to me about anything."

"Yeah... Ino-nee-chan, do you trust me?"

"Of course I-"

"I mean _really _trust me. If I asked you to do something that everyone else told you was a bad idea, would you still do it?" Naruto asked, his face intense.

Ino was taken aback for a moment. Eventually though, she nodded. "If you really needed me to, yes, I would."

Naruto smiled grimly. "I need you to use the Mind Delving Technique on me."

Ino gasped. "That's- but-"

"I know."

"Tou-san said it would kill me!"

"As far as he knows it would."

"Then-"

"Do you trust me?"

Ino shot to her feet and began pacing around the clearing. She was shaking as the conflicting impulses clashed in her mind. On the one hand she would do anything for her brother, but on the other her father had made her swear up, down, and sideways to never ever _ever _use any Yamanaka techniques on Naruto. Every day for an entire month he had repeated the lecture on how she would die, and how her family would be miserable, and how Naruto would never forgive himself. Just the thought of it roused a strong feeling of terror, which she knew had been her father's intent.

"How important is this?" Ino asked finally, her voice trembling.

"Possibly the most important thing I will ever ask you to do," Naruto replied, his voice firm.

Her eyes became watery. "And I won't die?" she asked softly.

Naruto nodded his head. "I would never do anything to hurt you, Nee-chan. I swear to you that you will not die."

It took Ino another minute, but she finally nodded her head jerkily and sat in front of Naruto. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking as she slowly went through the handsigns for the technique, and she had to restart several times. When she stopped on the last hand seal, holding it for a moment, she looked at Naruto and smiled wanly, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I love you, little brother," she said, and cast the jutsu. Her body fell over sideways, limp.

Naruto leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, looking like he had simply dozed off in the afternoon sun.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this will be interesting.**

**Kuushou has finally picked up a ranged attack, and he will eventually find a few more. Since he can't use chakra without at least a little bit of youki mixed in, and since he can't extend the youki very far, and technique which requires chakra to maintain has to stay close to him. Which techniques qualify is mostly a judgment call on my part, but I do have a rule of thumb here: if the technique acts in an unnatural manner, chakra is what makes it do so. Even the "super-compressed ball of air" is pushing it, I suppose, but I'll ask that you just roll with it on that one.**

**Fire techniques burn without a visible source of fuel, hence they burn chakra. Wind blades and so on use chakra to shape them. Lightning would dissipate or ground itself out without chakra guiding and sustaining it. Earth and Water, since they are working with concrete materials, are easiest to judge, but to keep them shaped and moving still requires chakra. **

**He will be incredibly dangerous, far more dangerous than most people will realize in fact, but he _does _have weaknesses.**

**The scene with Sakura came as something of a surprise to me, actually. Sasuke isn't the Tragic Prince of Konoha in this story, and Ino had Naruto as her closest friend and so never even met Sakura before they entered the Academy. Once in the Academy the Clan Kids had their own "clique" and, since they expected to graduate well before any of the other kids, didn't really try to form friendships outside of their own group.**

**So I asked myself: what would Sakura be like without the influences of canon!Ino and canon!Sasuke?**

**Anko is another fun character who really should get more screen time than she does. She has a very interesting backstory and _should _have had a much more prominent role in canon given how things progressed. Ah well.  
**

**Despite the epic showdown between Orochimaru and Itachi... I doubt I'll ever write the scene out in this story. There will be references to it and it obviously was important plot-wise, but everything you _need _to know about it has been revealed in this chapter.**

**As for Gaara (of the funk!)... poor, poor Gaara (of the funk!). **

**Next chapter tomorrow, and it's the last chapter of Part One.  
**


	16. Trust In Me

-? ? ?-

-? ? ?-

-? ? ?-

As Ino became aware, she felt like she was floating on a cloud while wrapped in a warm blanket. The feeling of comfort and safety was incredible; it reminded her of her sleeping in her own bed, or relaxing in her mother's embrace. Her eyes fluttered open as she took in her surroundings.

She was in some sort of white room, the walls extending upwards and vanishing into a pure white sky. She turned her head to look to the side and saw more of the white walls, but her view was obstructed by some sort of red haze. She could vaguely see through the edges of the haze, but it grew opaque as she looked down.

She was actually lying on the red haze that seemed to fill the bottom of the room. Pushing her hand against it experimentally, she noted that it gave a bit before springing back. There was also an odd tickling sensation when she made direct contact with it; looking at her hand, she could see bits of red energy playing over her fingers for a moment before they fell back into the mass of red below her.

Ino was confused; she was certainly alive, as Naruto had promised, but this was nothing like what she had seen when she practiced the Mind Delve on her father or other Yamanakas. In particular, always before she had seen some representation of the person she had used the technique on. The Yamanakas could make the representation act as themselves, though she had been told other people would have no control over it once she was inside their mind.

"Naruto-kun?" Ino called out hesitantly.

"Hello, Ino-nee-chan. Thank you for trusting me." The voice seemed to echo from all around her, and she felt a deep thrumming from the red stuff she was lying on.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have doubted you for a moment," Ino replied. "Where are you?"

"Before I get to that, there's something you need to see. I know Tou-san told you my secret, but there's another secret that no one knows but me and one other person. I've wanted to tell you for a long time now, but I wasn't ready until today."

"That's fine, Naruto-kun. I'm glad you're telling me now. But... what is the secret? Why did I have to use the Mind Delve before you could tell me?"

"I couldn't just tell you, because I don't think you'd understand with just words. Now you can see for yourself, though. I need to show you a memory." As Naruto spoke, his voice still echoing throughout this weird room, a small orb of purplish chakra appeared before her. Ino recognized this as the standard representation for a memory in a ninja's mind, though the purplish tinge was probably unique to Naruto. "I know Yamanakas can tell when a memory is real or fake, and I want you to make sure you pay close attention to that, ok? Everything I will show you is real, though it may not seem like it at first."

"Alright, Naruto-kun. I don't see why you're so worried about this, though," Ino said. She reached out and touched the memory, letting it wash over her.

* * *

As Ino entered the memory, she felt a disturbing shift in her senses. She had been warned that the Mind Delve technique could be disorienting, especially if she viewed memories, since everyone's senses functioned a little differently – some might have sharper eyesight or blurred vision, others might have better or worse hearing, and so on. She had experienced it a bit herself during training, but this...

This was something entirely different. There was no sight, no sound, nothing she was familiar with. The closest thing she could compare it to would be like sensing chakra, but for everything all at once.

_This _is what Naruto wanted to show her? What was this? She remembered his words about checking if it was real or fake... sure enough, the scene was consistent and continuous, but it still didn't make any sense.

The scene shifted suddenly. Now there were eight other... things nearby. It was like sensing someone using chakra, only so much more intense that compared to what she felt in this memory the chakra she had personally sensed was like a candle held up before the sun. The other... presences began to interact, and when one of the other presences touched her her very soul sang. It was... indescribable.

_Brethren._

The thought was powerful, and lodged deep within the memory. It echoed through her mind, never quite fading.

The memory began to shift rapidly now, small snippets of events whirling past, but always the other presences were there. The memory lingered on a feeling of loss and sorrow followed by relief and joy, then moved on again.

The memory finally stopped on something she could recognize, her perspective settling on rolling hills covered in waves of rippling grass. She was far too high, though; was she on top of a tower or something?

She gasped when ninja suddenly surrounded her and began flinging jutsu at her. She screamed when the jutsu connected, but the memory itself conveyed no sensation of pain, or even fear. Just... surprise? Amusement? Disgust? What was going on? She checked again; still real.

A barrier surrounded her, and a man in a black cloak with red clouds was using some sort of jutsu. She gasped again when a horrible feeling of _other_ pervaded her senses, and felt a ball of unease settle into her stomach when the man referred to the _other _as the Death God. The scene was all wrong – if this was Naruto's memory of the sealing, it should be in a forest, it should be the Fourth Hokage on top of Gamabunta, and she should be looking out from the baby's eyes, not from...

She shuddered when her perspective suddenly _stretched, _the sensation just shy of painful but incredibly uncomfortable. She felt a brief sense of confinement, an incredible surge of rage, and then... a _shift._

The memory sat staring at a glowing portal for the longest time. There was anger now, lots of anger; but also loneliness, determination, fear, grief... The words from the Death God kept playing over and over in her head, or rather the memory's head. It was a constant refrain, a mocking refrain. She checked again; the memory was real, but it still wasn't making any sense.

The barrier flickered, and a surge of joy rushed through the memory. Another _shift _and she was towering over a forest. There was the strongest sense of victory and she let out a powerful roar, but it was soon overwhelmed by the need to search, the need to find. She began moving forward, her senses constantly stretching outward.

More ninja appeared, once again flinging jutsu as quickly as they could.

_Not again, not now._

She watched in horror as the ninja were swiftly destroyed. This was far more familiar – she recognized these events from Konoha's history – but this wasn't making any sense. How could Naruto possibly have a memory of this? She checked again, but it was still real, still consistent.

She watched helpless as the memory was sealed yet again, the Death God speaking the same words as before. She felt the building fury that was soon brought under control. She watched as the memory explored the white room, a room _she_ _recognized. _She watched the door smashed open, and the red haze flowing out of the room. She felt the confusion, the understanding, the panic.

_Dead_.

The feel of the memory shifted now, the return of such mundane senses as sight and smell startling her. She watched the Hokage carrying the memory around, the blonde woman named Tsunade – she knew that name, from somewhere – talking about chakra, the white-haired man staring at her stomach, the red-haired woman bursting in.

The memory jumped ahead, and she was startled to see herself lunge forward and hug the memory, heard her mumbled words and felt the wetness of her tears. She knew when this was, of course, but to see it from this perspective... she felt the absolute shock, the realization that the little girl actually cared, and the unacknowledged shift in perception of the little human from human child to

_Brethren._

* * *

She tumbled out of the memory, tears flowing down her face. She breathed in slowly and deeply several times. In. Out. In. Out.

"Naruto?" she asked.

"Yes, Ino-nee-chan?"

"I'm going to freak out now."

After an indefinite period of time, Ino collapsed back onto the red haze, panting and sweating. She was certain most of that had been inarticulate or composed almost entirely of swear words, but she had really needed to get that out of her system. Naruto hadn't said a word the entire time, just watching patiently as she ranted and raved.

She settled deeper into the red haze and just stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours, letting the warmth and comfort of it wash over her. Naruto never said a word, waiting for her to respond.

This really should change everything, she thought. What Naruto had just shown her was... it... that was really important wasn't it? She'd had always been taught that the tailed beasts were mindless, evil beasts that would destroy everything and everyone if allowed the chance. The ninja villages _had _to seal them, out of self-defense, to protect the entire world. And now that she knew, she... she should...

However, for every memorized response to a history lesson in the Academy, there were a hundred memories from her personal experience that screamed that the other ninja were wrong. She could remember Naruto smiling at her, hugging her, teasing her, making sure she was always included whenever their friends came around, helping her with homework, asking her for help with his own homework, playing with her, gently wrapping her scrapes and bruises in bandages...

Shoving her out of the way and taking what would surely have been a killing blow from that Kumo ninja in her place.

"Naruto?" she asked again.

"Yes, Ino-nee-chan?" the voice responded, still echoing.

"What am I laying on?"

"... me," he answered, the voice clearly coming from below her now. She turned her head to look, and found herself staring into two giant red eyes. The vertical black slits studied her intently, widening and narrowing slowly.

She could feel the rise and fall of the haze below her, now. It wasn't really a haze anymore, though; what had been cloud-like now had the very definite feel of fur – soft and luxurious and warm – but definitely fur. The rise and fall coincided with the gentle puffs of air flowing across her skin coming from the large nose in front of her. She heard a swishing sound behind her, and turned to see nine large tails swaying through the air.

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. She calmed much more quickly this time.

"Naruto?" she asked yet again.

"... yes, Ino-nee-chan?"

"I've got some questions now."

"Alright."

"Well, first... is that really what you sound like? I mean, you sound just like you do on the outside."

"**I could talk like this, if you prefer."**

Ino squeaked and shrank back into the fur. "No, the other voice is good. Normal is good."

Naruto chuckled a little, Ino bouncing softly as the body beneath her shook. Ino felt oddly reassured knowing that he was still capable of laughing at her.

"I trust that wasn't your only question?" Naruto asked, his voice back to the comforting sound she was familiar with.

"What were those other... things, in the beginning? The ones that made my soul sing?" She blushed as she realized what she had just said.

"Made your soul sing...?" Naruto said musingly. "Yes, that is as good a way to put it as any, I suppose. Those were the other Bijuu, my brethren."

Ino frowned. There was that word again. "They're really important to you, aren't they?"

"More important than anything."

"And... you really think of me like that?"

"I have come to, yes."

"... why?"

"There isn't really any one reason, but, more than anything... because you cared. Even my brethren never worried about me as I worried about them... I was the strongest, what could possibly harm me? But you? You were terrified that I had been hurt, terrified that I would turn you away. And you cared not because you felt that you owed me something, but because I was your _brother._"

Ino nodded slowly. Naruto was right about one thing; if she hadn't experienced the memory for herself, she couldn't possibly have understood just how much that word meant to him. Even now she grappled with the all-encompassing enormity of it; the meaning was so broad, so thorough, so... complete. Most people considered family to be bound by blood; with Naruto the concept was part of his very being.

"Where are the others now?"

The growl that issued from his throat was terrifying even knowing that it wasn't directed at her. "Sealed," Naruto said furiously.

Ino frowned, thinking about the memory she had seen. "But the Death God said you would be banished. Wouldn't they have gone back to the same place you did?"

"If they were sealed in the same manner I was, yes. I have come to the conclusion that my seal was different somehow, perhaps because of the design, perhaps because of the Death God himself. Whatever happened to the others has prevented them from escaping as I did. So, I must find them myself to free them."

Ino nodded again. That much had come through clearly from the memory. "Hey... what's your real name? You do have a name, right?"

"Yes, I do. My name is Kuushou, the Burning Sky."

"Hmm... I like Naruto better."

Naruto snorted. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. It's probably best that you continue to refer to me as Naruto anyway. If someone heard you calling me another name, they would become very suspicious."

She frowned suddenly as she recalled something Naruto had said early on. "You said one other person knew this secret... who is it? Tou-san? The Hokage?"

"No... they would likely have killed me already if they knew. After all, I am the 'tailed beast' that attacked the village."

"But... that's not what happened! You didn't even know the village was there! You were just looking for the others!" Ino shouted indignantly.

"The world considers my kind to be nothing more than mindless beasts, serving no other purpose than to destroy and kill – I'm sure you remember how often they harped on that in the Academy. I have been unable to determine when or how this shift in perception occurred, as we had enough exposure to the humans of the past to learn their language and communicate with them. They knew us and revered us as mighty beings – I recall Seika actually had a group of them worshiping her at one point," Naruto laughed.

"Seika?"

"Ah, I believe you would know her as the Two-Tails. Still, I am getting off track. The ninja would consider the presence of any tailed beast as an 'attack'. That your Fourth Hokage tried to use the Death God to kill me and seal my power into a human child reveals their true purpose, however."

Ino frowned. "That's not..."

"Perhaps," Naruto allowed. "I am hardly the fairest judge in this matter. Nonetheless, there are many things they _could _have tried, and they chose to try stealing my power for themselves."

Ino's frown deepened. She couldn't refute Naruto's words at the moment, but she didn't really want to think of the Fourth Hokage-

"Holy shit!"

"What?"

"That memory, just after you were sealed. They called you Minato's son! Hell, the Fourth Hokage even referred to you as his son during the sealing! You're the Fourth Hokage's son! Well... the body is, anyway," Ino finished lamely.

"... does that matter? No one has ever mentioned it to me, and even the Hokage avoided naming the Fourth Hokage when telling me about my 'parents'. Given my experiences since the sealing I had assumed that the people who raised the child were considered more important than the biological parents."

Ino opened her mouth to scream "Yes it matters!", but paused, at a loss. "It _should _matter, yeah. He's the Fourth Hokage! Why doesn't anyone know that you're his son? The Third Hokage and the other people in the office knew, at least." She pondered the question for a minute, then shook herself. "You changed the subject! You didn't tell me who the other person who knew was! If you don't want to tell me... it's Shizune, isn't it?"

Naruto snorted. "No, it's not Shizune. I must say, I've never understood why you dislike her so much."

Ino growled softly. "She's the only other person you ever refer to as 'nee-chan'," she replied sullenly.

"Perhaps, but she is not my _sister._ You are."

Ino felt a warm glow when he said that. She'd always liked having a brother before, but hearing him say that now, after she knew just how much it meant... "Hey!" she snapped. "You changed the subject again!"

"Tch."

"What the hell? Why don't you want to tell me?"

"You aren't going to like it."

"I just found out that my brother is a Bijuu, is like a bazillion years old, has eight other siblings, and has killed hundreds of Konoha ninja – regardless of the circumstances – and you think I'm not going to like _this?"_

"Yes."

"... oh," Ino said softly. She fell back onto the fur and stared up at the ceiling for a while. Finally she said, musingly, "Well, how bad could it be, really? I mean, I think I handled this bit of news fairly well, didn't I? Besides, it's not like it's Itachi or something, right?"

"..."

"You're supposed to say 'right' there."

"..."

"It's Itachi isn't it."

"... yes."

"What. The. FUCK," Ino shouted as she jumped to her feet and began pacing around. "You told fucking _Itachi _before me? The guy who tried to kill you? Wait, is this why he tried to kill you? Why didn't you kill him back? You could have killed him, couldn't you?"

"Possibly, but what everyone else 'knows' about that night isn't exactly... accurate."

"By which you mean it's complete and total bullshit."

"... more or less, yeah. Itachi figured out my real identity on his own from some very tiny clues and gut instinct and confronted me about it."

"And then tried to kill you?"

"Are you going to let me tell you what happened or not?"

"... fine," Ino said, then settled back into the fur. Despite the fact that she was lying on top of a giant red fox that could possibly destroy Konoha if he really wanted to, she felt comfortable and safe. Thinking about it, even when she'd first figured out that Naruto was actually the tailed beast, she hadn't felt scared or in danger. Confused, absolutely, but not scared. Even if he was actually taller than the Hokage Tower and had nine tails, he was still Naruto to her.

"He revealed that he knew I was actually the tailed beast, told me how he figured it out, and even guessed my real goals. I only had time to explain a little about the Bijuu before the search parties started closing in on us. I convinced Itachi to become a missing-nin – although I think he'd already decided to do that himself – and we set up our 'battle scene' to fool the other ninja. Everything from there you know."

"Why did you let him go? Isn't it really dangerous to have someone who knows who you are out there?"

"In this case... no. Itachi won't betray me – we understand each other far too well for that, and there's a mutual respect between us. He's already proven to be a very valuable ally, in fact."

"He has? How? And how do you 'understand each other'?"

"He brought me a scroll which detailed part of how the other Bijuu and I were originally sealed, as well as who was behind it."

"When? You haven't left Konoha ever... have you?"

"I have not. He came to me – in the same training ground we are currently in, in fact."

"... holy shit. He waltzed right through Konoha's defenses, just like that?"

"Oh yes. When he left Konoha he was already one of the best ninja I've ever seen, and he's only gotten better since. Like I said, a very valuable ally.

"As for how we 'understand each other'... I'm sure you've heard other ninja talk about him, perhaps even felt a little wary of him yourself?"

"I've heard other people talk about him, yeah, but I never understood why they didn't like him. He reminded me of- oh."

"Exactly. I've taken great pains to blend in with the general population – a task you and your family have helped tremendously with, I might add – but Itachi did not. You know that your father has 'counseling sessions' with me every week, and I have learned how they want me to behave as a human being rather than as a ninja. I suspect Itachi was told just the opposite and learned his lesson too well.

"You are possibly the only person who could actually see the similarities between us, as I allow myself to act more naturally around you than anyone else. Even beyond his external actions, however, is the way he thinks. He always seeks to grow stronger but rarely takes pride in what other people consider exceptional or amazing about him. He doesn't value the adulation of the general populace, instead seeking approval and companionship from a select few, his family. He evaluates everyone else based on whether they could pose a threat to him or not, and prepares to act accordingly if need be.

"I have heard your father refer to this as the 'veteran ninja' mindset, and spoke of it as if people had to force themselves to acquire it and that they had lost something when they finally did. He was also greatly concerned that I showed traits of this mindset and focused a great deal of time and effort into 'fixing' me. He failed to realize that such a mindset is natural to me, and to Itachi as well. Itachi may be human, but his mind is that of a demon, without question."

"So they hate him because he acted like a ninja is supposed to act?" Ino asked.

"Hmm... I'm not sure that's all of it; there's probably some jealousy and fear mixed in as well. I've actually been able to learn from some of his mistakes – by emphasizing the more 'human' traits of my personality and limiting the 'veteran ninja' aspects they believe that I am getting better and thus dismiss their own doubts. Itachi never let his guard down around others and so they continued to be wary of him. They probably could also tell on some level that he had little love for Konoha – demons do not give their loyalty to physical locations or abstract concepts; that is most certainly a human conceit. Our 'family' is made up of distinct individuals that we know personally, and we give our loyalty to them and them alone."

"But it's not like you're some sort of killing machine! You joke around, tease people, have things you enjoy even outside of studying or training..." Ino replied.

"Yes, I do, but partially because that is what is expected of me. I would normally limit my interactions solely to you and a few others I respect, and dismiss everyone else as irrelevant. Itachi never found people he could respect until I came along, which I suspect was part of his problem. Now that he has freed himself from Konoha, he has fully come into his own. He looked far more relaxed and at ease when I saw him last than he ever did here, which tells me that he has found a new 'family,' or at least someone he can respect and interact with."

Ino absorbed that for a few minutes. "Alright," she said finally, "I suppose he's not a complete and total asshole after all. I feel a little bad about all the things I said about him now."

"You were quite inventive when it came to him, as I recall."

Ino blushed slightly. "He tried to kill you! Or I thought he had, anyway. Hey!" she suddenly shouted, punching the fur below her. "You scared the crap out of me that night for no reason!"

"I _did _say I was sorry."

"... hmph. Well, now you have to make it up to me again."

Naruto chuckled, the vibrations traveling through the fur and jostling Ino slightly in her resting place. "If you insist."

"Well I do, so there," she said, relaxing again.

"Although...," Naruto said, his voice teasing, "you _did _call me a 'stupid tailed beast'."

"But... that was... sorry," she finally said.

"Ah, but now 'you have to make it up to me'," he replied.

"... I hate when you do that," Ino muttered. "Fine, even?"

"Even," Naruto said, chuckling.

Ino laughed a little herself as she settled back onto the fur again. She reflected on everything she had learned so far, and came up with another question.

"What are you going to do now? I mean I can see why you've spent so much time studying and learning, but we're going to be genin in a few months, so..."

"My purpose ever since I came back to the human realm has been to find my brethren and free them from their seals. I didn't intend to get sealed again, but it may have turned out to be a good thing. I can't say I regret it now – I've learned much about the human world, acquired skills I never would have thought of before, and now that I've begun studying seals I may find a way to prevent this from ever happening again."

"And met me," Ino said, smirking.

"That goes without saying," Naruto replied.

"Well, you want to free your brethren, but what if you keep getting sent on missions to other places and can't find them? What if you get stuck in the village for some reason? What will you do then?"

"... my purpose is to find and free my brethren."

"But... oh. I see," Ino said softly. If it came down to it, there was no choice for Naruto – he would leave the village in a heartbeat if it meant finding the other Bijuu. Where would that leave her? It didn't take her nearly as long as she thought it would to come to her own decision.

"I'll help you."

"Thanks, Ino-nee-chan, but what if-"

"I _said, _I'll help you. Period."

"... I see. Thank you."

"No thanks needed. You're my little brother, so that means the others are too. Of course I would help."

The flood of emotion that washed over her was breathtaking and beautiful. It wasn't quite like what she had experienced in the memory, but it was far closer than anything she'd ever felt before in her life. She just laid back and basked in it for several minutes, reveling in the feeling. After a few minutes, she got a sly smile on her face.

"Hey, Naruto? I've got another question."

"Yes, Ino-nee-chan?"

"... do I make your soul sing?" she teased.

His answering groan sent her into peals of laughter.

* * *

-July 18th, 346 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hokage-sama, you have received another seven applications for the jounin instructor group," Mitsuko, his secretary, said.

The Hokage sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "How many does that make now?"

Mitsuko referred to her notes. "One hundred and fourteen, Hokage-sama."

"One _hundred fourteen _requests to become a jounin instructor, for a batch of Academy students that will produce fifteen teams at most, probably less. I usually have to offer incentives to get people to take up the job."

"I believe it's because of Naruto-kun and the others, Hokage-sama. The requests don't say it outright, but they all mention their familiarity with clan techniques as part of their qualifications."

"Of course," the Hokage said sullenly. "The kids who _least _need an instructor are the ones drawing all the attention. All right, we need to trim these numbers down. Throw out all the ones who have previously turned down the chance to become an instructor at any point. When you've done that, let me know how many are left and we'll go from there."

Mitsuko spent nearly half an hour sorting, arranging, referencing, and shuffling while the Hokage filled out some of his other paperwork. Finally, she was prepared.

"Twenty-seven candidates remain, Hokage-sama."

He frowned. That was more than he had expected, actually. He'd thought he would need to allow someone from the other group to take a team in order to have enough instructors.

"Who has been trying to get a team the longest out of that group?"

Thirty seconds later Mitsuko had his answer. "That would be Hatake-san, Hokage-sama. He has been trying for three years in a row but no team has managed to pass his exam. Normal operating procedure states that an instructor is allowed to select his own candidates, subject to approval by the Hokage, if their previous team was assigned to them and failed. His file states that he has declined to exercise this right the prior two years."

The Hokage chuckled to himself. Kakashi knew _exactly _what he was doing and had positioned himself to handpick his own squad out of what would likely prove to be the strongest class of graduates Konoha had ever seen. He might have to change things up depending on who exactly Kakashi picked, but that pretty much guaranteed Naruto was already taken.

"Who comes after Kakashi?"

Mitsuko spent several minutes shuffling through her papers. "Ah... no one, Hokage-sama. Since you eliminated those who had previously declined the request to become an instructor, all remaining candidates are actually in the pool for the first time. Based on general seniority within the ranks, your son would be next."

"Hmm... well, we've never considered general seniority before, and this would be a bad time to start for several reasons. Very well, send a notice to Kakashi letting him know that he has uncontested first pick of the graduates this year. For everyone else, I want them to submit potential team assignments using every student in this year's class. For each team they are to explain the team's primary role, secondary role, strengths, weaknesses, and provide a sample training schedule for the first six months."

"For... _all _the teams, Hokage-sama?"

He smirked in reply. "Oh yes, all of them. They'll have til the end of September to submit their proposals. If they don't do so on time, they will not be considered for this year's jounin instructor pool."

"Ah, I see. Very well, Hokage-sama. I will send the notices out immediately."

"Thank you, Mitsuko-chan. Once you've finished that, feel free to take the rest of the day off. I think I'll be heading out early myself."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

* * *

-July 19th, 346 NE-

-9:00 PM-

-Konoha-

Kurenai gaped at the message in her hand, then dropped her head to the table with a loud _thump_. The other people in the bar paid her no mind, but her drinking companion looked curious as she gobbled down another dango.

"What's up, Nai-chan?" Anko asked. When she didn't receive an answer, she snatched the message out of Kurenai's hand and read it over. She whistled lowly once she finished reading it.

"Didn't know you'd signed up to be an instructor. Looks like a lot of work."

"This is the first year I am eligible. I didn't actually think I'd make the cut, but I heard you get an advantage the next time you try. Nobody mentioned it took this much work."

"Yosh! I see that your flames of youth are dimming, and must lend my own experience as a jounin instructor so that they may burn brightly once again!"

Anko threw her freshly stripped dango skewer at Gai. He caught it between his fingers and began to twirl it around his fingers at high speeds, laughing.

"Ha! You must try much harder before you will be able to best Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast!"

"Give it a rest, Gai!" Anko snapped, waving another dango skewer in a vaguely threatening manner.

"Very well! I shall abide by your youthful plea!" Gai said. His body relaxed and his voice dropped into a less... exuberant tone. It was actually quite disconcerting to see a _calm _Gai for those who hadn't witnessed this rarest of events before. "Now, I hear you have applied to be a jounin instructor this year?"

Kurenai finally looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I've always wanted to teach, especially genjutsu. Outside of the Kurama clan a lot of ninja don't utilize genjutsu to its full potential, and rather than trying to convince ninja who have already developed their own styles I thought I could train genin and work my way up from there."

Gai nodded. "A worthy goal. However, Anko-san mentioned something about 'a lot of work'? I know training three genin can be difficult, but you must not...," he trailed off when Kurenai shook her head.

"No, it's all the work before you can even be considered. How nobody thought that was worth mentioning..."

Gai frowned. "I don't understand. What work are you referring to?"

"The write-ups on all the possible genin teams," Kurenai said, dropping her head to the table again. Gai shook his head, but finally spotted the note Anko was holding. After asking for it and reading it over, he nodded his head solemnly.

"I see... I guess this year there must be an abundance of potential instructors."

"_This _year?" Kurenai asked. "You mean..."

"Correct, this was not a requirement last year. In fact- ah! Kakashi, my eternal rival! Join us and lend your own experience as a jounin instructor so that we may help our fellow jounin!"

Kakashi slowly wandered over to the table, his nose still planted in his orange book. Despite having one eye completely covered and appearing to be completely focused on his book, he dodged and weaved his way through the crowd without a single misstep or so much as bumping into anyone.

"You say something, Gai?"

"Alas, despite your eternally hip attitude, I must refrain from proposing another contest at this time."

Kakashi's head snapped up, his eye widening in disbelief. "Must be serious then," he said, snapping his book shut and putting it away. "Alright," he said, pulling another chair up to the table, "what's up?"

Kurenai took a moment to reply. She was actually feeling a little intimidated now, sitting at a table conversing casually with two S-Rank ninja. Kakashi and Gai were considered two of the strongest ninja in the village, and here she was a newly promoted jounin.

"Um, I submitted my name to be a jounin instructor this year, but no one warned me about all the work."

Kakashi shook his head. "I know teaching three kids can seem like a lot of work, but-"

"I meant the write-ups for all the potential teams," Kurenai interrupted.

Kakashi's brow furrowed. Gai wordlessly handed him the message and he quickly read it over. "Ah... I see."

"My eternal rival, did you not receive a similar message?"

"Um... no?"

"Did your team last year not fail? Are you not trying again?"

"They did fail, and I am trying again."

Anko suddenly started laughing. "Poor Nai-chan."

"What?" Kurenai snapped.

"You said there are advantages after your first year. Looks like this is one of 'em. You don't have to do the write-ups, do you Kakashi?" Anko asked.

"Nope."

Kurenai gaped. "That... that's not fair!"

Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly. "Perhaps not, but it's the Hokage who makes the final call. If you have any complaints you can always take them up with him," he said, his tone even.

Kurenai recoiled slightly, then blushed. "Sorry," she muttered.

Relaxing, Kakashi just waved her off. "If it makes you feel any better, I think I'm the only one who doesn't have to do the write-ups. If you do a good job, you might be pleasantly surprised." With that, he got up and wandered off to another part of the bar. After saying farewell to Anko and Kurenai, Gai followed him, his voice back to its normally exuberant levels.

Anko began working on another skewer of dango. "So whatcha gonna do, Nai-chan?"

Kurenai read over the note again, then nodded resolutely. "I'm going to get to work," she said.

* * *

-August 9th, 346 NE-

-? ? ?-

"We have still been unable to locate Yagura, Leader-sama. Our last reported sighting placed him near the Land of Waterfalls, but we have been unable to confirm that he was there at all, much less capture him."

"That is... unfortunate. I shall have to be more careful in my approach in the future."

"Leader-sama, you are certainly not to blame for-"

"No, it was my mistake. I was too trusting that he would understand our goals, and he has since chosen to hide away from us. I shall be more careful in the future."

"As you say, Leader-sama."

"Thank you for your report. You are dismissed."

As the door closed behind the messenger, the leader turned to his companion. "How are Jun and Kyoko doing?"

"They have finally begun their training and seem to be doing well. The new seal designs have calmed the beasts' youki considerably and the loss of potency is tolerable. It will still take time, but they should be able to harness more power overall without running into the risks that jinchuuriki normally encounter."

"Excellent news. And they understand our cause?"

"Absolutely. They are eager to take their places at your side."

"Good... hopefully I will have a chance to visit them myself before too long. I should get to know them personally if they are to stand by me."

The door burst open and another messenger rushed in. "Leader-sama! We have located the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails!"

The leader stood and offered a hand to his companion. "Shall we, my dear? It seems we have some work to do."

* * *

-October 18th, 346 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha Academy-

"Well, that was the last student to take the exam today. Congratulations to all of you who passed! You will need to return to this room in one week at 10:00 AM to receive your team assignments and meet your jounin instructors. Dismissed."

The children flooded out of the room, chattering excitedly and showing off their headbands. The "Clan Kids" walked as a group at a more sedate pace, heading to the Nara compound. Their parents were already gathered there to prepare for a "Graduation Party."

"How do you think they'll divide up the group?" Kiba asked. His canine partner Akamaru yipped from his perch on top of Kiba's head.

"Troublesome... any possible combination could work well within this group, so there's no way to say for sure," Shikamaru replied.

"You don't think they'll try to put us on a team with someone else?" Chouji asked nervously.

"They might think we'd benefit the other teams if we were spread out," Sakura pointed out.

"They can try," Naruto said, smirking.

"As if we'd let them get away with splitting us up," Ino said confidently.

"It would not be logical to separate a group which has consistently demonstrated such a high level of dedication and teamwork," Shino said, adjusting his sunglasses.

Hinata nodded, adding, "We've prepared for this for years. We'll be fine."

"Like I'd accept being on a team with anyone else," Sasuke said.

They all shared quick grins and determined nods before they resumed walking to the Nara compound.

[End Part One]

* * *

**A/N: Yep, next chapter starts with the team selections and moves on from there.**

**Ino knows the whole story now. Hopefully that scene was fleshed out well. I've left hints here and there about how Kuushou has been preparing her for this moment, as well as insights into Ino's own personality that would support how she took the news.**

**I would like to thank everyone who has left reviews for the story. I very much appreciate all the kind words and encouragement - it's made writing this story even more enjoyable.**

**Next chapter, the beginning of Part Two, will be posted next weekend. Until then!  
**


	17. A Place For Everyone

-October 20th, 346 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?"

"Ah, Kakashi, how nice of you to join me... and only thirty-seven minutes late. I'm impressed, I think that might be a record for you."

Kakashi just laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

The Hokage cleared his throat sternly but decided to let the matter rest, for the moment. "The reason I called you here is to let you know about the team assignments for this year's graduating class. I reviewed your request, but unfortunately I can't fill it in its entirety."

Kakashi stiffened and started to protest, but held his tongue when the Hokage raised his hand.

"Relax, Kakashi, you still got Naruto-kun. And Ino-chan as well; I know better than to try to split those two apart. No, I've decided that Sasuke will need to be placed with another team."

Kakashi relaxed slightly, but still appeared tense. "May I ask why, Hokage-sama?"

"You may indeed. As you may have heard, I had the other jounin instructor candidates create potential team assignments using every student in this year's class. Two instructors in particular submitted team designs using Sasuke that haven't been fully explored before and have quite a lot of potential. I believe that Sasuke will ultimately prove more successful in one of those teams than in your requested team."

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I find it hard to believe that any other instructor outside of an Uchiha would be better equipped to teach Sasuke than I."

"You do have a certain advantage in that regard, yes. However, I am not concerned about your instruction so much as Sasuke's role in your team."

"Hokage-sama-"

"I understand your feelings on this matter, Kakashi, but I will not be changing my mind."

"... Understood, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said stiffly. "If I may ask, who will be my third genin?"

Sarutobi nodded sharply and relaxed, leaning back in his chair. "Ah, that's the question, isn't it? The two instructors in question will be arriving shortly to discuss their ideas. That discussion will determine which genin you will be able to choose."

"Hokage-sama, I-"

"Rest assured that your third genin will be one of the 'Clan Kids' regardless, so I don't think you'll have anything to complain about. Typically the Rookie of the Year and Kunoichi of the Year are placed on a team with the student with the worst scores, but I'm not going to do that to you for several reasons."

Kakashi sighed quietly. "Understood, Hokage-sama. When will the other instructors arrive for this discussion?"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be along any time now. You arrived early, after all," the Hokage said, smirking.

Kakashi just sighed again; this day was _not_ turning out well. He perked up a bit though, remembering that he had successfully gotten his teacher's son as one of his genin. Ino should also be a pleasure to teach, if the reports he had heard were any indication.

Thirty minutes later the door opened to reveal Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuuhi, both looking slightly confused as to why they had been called to meet with the Hokage, much less at the same time. They quickly noticed Kakashi stretched out on the couch reading an orange book and grew even more confused.

"Ah, excellent. You're both here," the Hokage said, looking up from his paperwork. Kakashi snapped his book closed and moved to stand next to the two newcomers.

"Now we can get this meeting started," the Hokage said, smiling. "I have called you three here to discuss the team assignments for this year's graduates, in particular Sasuke Uchiha. Asuma and Kurenai both submitted compelling ideas for a team which included Sasuke and I wanted to discuss them as a group. Kurenai, we'll begin with you; explain your reasoning behind the team of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Shino Aburame."

"Ah... yes, Hokage-sama," Kurenai paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, then stepped forward and began speaking. "I proposed a squad with the primary role of genjutsu/anti-genjutsu infiltration and combat support with a secondary role of Ambush and Capture.

"Sasuke's abilities are well-balanced, but his sharingan gives him a key edge in a genjutsu battle. His skills in taijutsu and ninjutsu will allow him to respond well to any potential scenario, making him a strong member of any team. The reports from the Academy noted that he has some difficulty in the team exercises, however; he apparently tries to overcome every obstacle on his own rather than rely on his teammates, even when working with the other Clan Kids. I hope to correct that problem on my team.

"Sakura has demonstrated incredible chakra control and a sharp mind, both very valuable in utilizing genjutsu. Her chakra reserves aren't as large as they could be, but she still has far more than most kunoichi would at her age; she would serve as the primary genjutsu caster and overall support until I can get her trained up to better fill other roles as needed. Her taijutsu in particular is weak compared to most of the Clan Kids. Her stealth and survival skills are among the best, however, especially considering that she comes from a civilian background.

"Shino is another well-balanced graduate - he has strong taijutsu abilities that complement his kikaichuu-based jutsu well. The kikaichuu consume a large portion of his chakra reserves which leaves him weak in ninjutsu, but he has compensated by developing his tactical awareness and chakra control. The few ninjutsu he can use are low-cost and highly accurate. His offensive capacity with genjutsu is weak, but the kikaichuu make his defense against genjutsu nearly perfect. They also provide an excellent means of tracking; between Shino and Sasuke we should have no problems detecting or pursuing any target. Beyond the known drawbacks of the Aburame bloodline Shino has no clear weaknesses, but I hope to help him become more creative with the application of his kikaichuu.

"My proposed training schedule was-"

"Thank you, Kurenai, that will be sufficient," the Hokage interrupted. Kurenai blushed slightly and stepped back. Both Kakashi and Asuma nodded thoughtfully as she finished speaking. Konoha had never had a focus on genjutsu thanks to so many clans having a built-in defense against them. Between that and the Kurama's genjutsu-boosting bloodline, most ninja in Konoha felt that it simply wasn't worth studying that field at all. Kurenai's own career as a chuunin had shown that genjutsu could be highly effective when used thoughtfully and carefully, and the idea of a whole team capable of operating on that level while still capable of performing other duties was compelling.

"Asuma, please explain your reasoning behind the team of Sasuke Uchiha, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shikamaru Nara."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. The team's primary role would be a Combat Strike team, with a secondary role of an Ambush and Capture squad.

"As Yuuhi-jounin pointed out, Sasuke is a well-balanced genin. With his sharingan he will soon be able to win any ninjutsu and most taijutsu match-ups, and won't have to worry about genjutsu. Hinata is focused on her taijutsu and clan abilities, and Shikamaru has become something of a prodigy with the shadow techniques. Sasuke would become the ninjutsu specialist and either take enemies out himself or herd them towards Shikamaru and Hinata. Hinata would be the primary scout and use her Jyuuken while Shikamaru will be the team strategist and use the Nara techniques to capture or harass enemies," Asuma recited, not bothering to go into as much detail as Kurenai had.

The Hokage nodded. "And for the sake of comparison... what was your basis for requesting Sasuke on your own team, Kakashi?" Both Asuma and Kurenai stiffened. Word had gotten around that Kakashi had free rein to request his own team, and he had clearly done so. If that was the case, why were they even talking about this?

"Scouting and long-range ninjutsu," Kakashi replied lazily.

The Hokage nodded again. "I trust you see why I want him on another team now?"

Kakashi just nodded, resigned.

Asuma and Kurenai both looked confused. It was Asuma who finally spoke up. "Hokage-sama, if he's not going to be on Kakashi's team, then who gets him?"

"Well obviously one of you two, but which one still remains to be decided. To that end I would like to ask a few questions to get a better understanding of your proposed teams. Asuma, why did you design this team with Hinata Hyuuga instead of Chouji Akimichi? Surely you are aware of the close ties between the Nara and Akimichi clans, and particularly between Shikamaru and Chouji?"

"I am, but Hinata has the byakugan making her the perfect scout, and the Jyuuken is a powerful style made only more so when coupled with the Nara's shadow jutsu."

"I see. The sharingan, while perhaps not _perfect, _is also capable of tracking targets thanks to its increased observational abilities. How does this fit into your plan?"

"Well... it wouldn't, really. Hinata would have that angle covered, allowing Sasuke to focus on his ninjutsu."

"I see," the Hokage said again.

He turned to Kurenai next. "You seemed to focus on Sasuke's abilities to handle any situation. Does this mean that Sakura and Shino are expected to function solely as support for Sasuke?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Kurenai replied. "I would expect the entire team to be able to respond well to any situation, regardless of their individual specialties. I would further expect each to be able to support the other two as the situation called for it."

"I see," the Hokage said. "Thank you both, that will be all."

Asuma and Kurenai hesitated, clearly expecting to hear more about the team placements, but nodded and left.

Kakashi remained behind, watching them leave out of the corner of his eye. When the door closed behind them, he turned back to the Hokage. "She's quite impressive, isn't she?"

"Oh yes, Konoha is fortunate that she decided to be an instructor. She's still new, of course, but I think she'll do an excellent job. What did you think of Asuma's proposal?"

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably. "It was..."

"Short-sighted and lazy?"

"... yeah, especially after hearing Kurenai's answers. He focused on what they could already do, rather than on what they could become."

Sarutobi sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Most of the proposals were like that, actually. Very few looked beyond exploiting the bloodlines or proven abilities when designing their teams. I had hoped Asuma had given it a little more thought than that, but it appears he did not. His proposed team could have performed very well as a stealth and infiltration team or even a hunter-nin squad, but it appears he lacks the drive and foresight to even begin to train them in that manner.

"It may be necessary to start off by allowing most genin to specialize and focus their efforts on one particular area in order for them to be of any real use in the field, but with the 'Clan Kids' that would be a mistake. Even as they are now they could likely outperform most of the older genin teams and even a few chuunin teams; they already have strengths, they need to shore up their weaknesses.

"Even you were focused on the abilities the sharingan provides Sasuke, though I have faith that you would have trained him well regardless. Nonetheless, I think Sasuke will be a much better fit paired with Sakura and Shino than with Naruto and Ino."

"I take it Kurenai will get her team then?"

"Yes. She has the right attitude and is prepared to push the kids in directions they aren't fully comfortable with while still utilizing their innate talents well. Give her a year and her squad will be a force to be reckoned with."

"You don't think she'll place too much emphasis on their genjutsu training? That was her stated primary role for the team, after all."

"The thought had crossed my mind, but her training schedule was quite balanced and her responses today further reassured me."

Kakashi nodded in acceptance. "Where does that leave my team?"

"Hmm... among the four remaining, who would you want for your third genin?"

Kakashi thought for nearly a minute before he answered. "Hinata," he said finally.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly. "I trust you want her for more than the byakugan?" he prompted.

"Naruto has more chakra than I do at this point," Kakashi began, choosing to fully explain his reasoning, "not to mention the tailed beast's power, but he has his little distance problem thanks to the seal. I've watched him try to use the Violent Water Wave jutsu; it either fell apart once it got past roughly ten feet or turned back on him. He admitted he tried a fire technique first, with... painful results."

Sarutobi nodded sagely. "Yes, it's easy to overlook just how many techniques rely on chakra to sustain their power. I've helped Naruto out with this issue myself with only limited success."

"Right. I've got a few techniques he could try, but as far as ranged attacks go he's got Air Bullet - and that thing scares _me _when he really pumps chakra into it - or the Boulder techniques. Useful, granted, but not exactly versatile. He's an absolute menace up close and can spam jutsu within that range all day long, not to mention his taijutsu; Gai and Lee won't shut up about how 'youthful' he is."

"Gai actually came to me about that a few months ago," Sarutobi replied with a small shudder. "I never want to see Gai _beg _for anything again."

"... I don't want to know," Kakashi said flatly. "Ino has the Yamanaka techniques and is apparently already quite skilled with them. A bit of work on her stealth and acting skills and she could be an excellent spy or infiltrator. However, she tends to reserve most of her chakra for her clan techniques which leaves her lacking in the ninjutsu department - she's become a little too reliant on Naruto's offensive abilities rather than developing her own. If she does have a lightning affinity like most Yamanakas I'll be able to help her a great deal there.

"Sasuke would have filled the ranged ninjutsu gap nicely in the beginning while adding some much needed scouting abilities. Long-term he would have probably balanced between ninjutsu and genjutsu."

"Why Hinata then? Her records don't indicate that she has a large ninjutsu repertoire either," Sarutobi prompted.

"Neither do Shikamaru, Kiba, or Chouji. From among the remaining genin, however, the byakugan fills the need for a good scout nicely, and her clan techniques don't require a heavy chakra expenditure, unlike the other three. I'm sure you are aware that Hizashi-sama trained himself to the point where he could keep his byakugan activated for hours on end."

"Indeed, and an incredibly useful ability it is."

"Hinata's chakra control is nearly as good as Naruto's, as evidenced by her success in picking up medical ninjutsu, so I believe that she'll be able to do that as well, and sooner rather than later. I strongly suspect that she has a water affinity, which is well suited to controlling the battlefield. Once I can teach her some techniques she'll be able to fill the ranged ninjutsu role in addition to her prowess with the Jyuuken. That would also work well with Ino's lightning affinity or Naruto's absurd chakra capacity. He could create large amounts of water for her to use for her own techniques, and so on.

"In addition I have a few ideas for combining jutsu with the Jyuuken forms that I would like to try out. The Hyuuga themselves seem to avoid experimentation, but they can't do anything if I'm her jounin instructor."

"... hmm. You do realize this would break the traditional gender balance on the teams, don't you?"

"Does that serve any real purpose? We both know that once you reach chuunin the gender balance never works out that cleanly anyway."

"True. Very well, Hinata will be your third genin."

Kakashi nodded gratefully. "I take it Asuma will get the remaining three 'Clan Kids'?"

Sarutobi shuffled through the papers on his desk for a moment, then pulled out a file. "After his poor showing earlier, I think that would be a mistake. If he truly wants to be a jounin instructor he can do so without relying on bloodlines. No, given that they are heavily balanced towards taijutsu at the moment, I think this person would be well suited to teach those three," he said, handing the file to Kakashi.

Kakashi's eye widened as he took the file. "This is...," he muttered. "I didn't even know she was eligible."

"She's worked very hard since she rejoined the ninja force and I think she's actually stronger now than when she originally went inactive; it's been quite impressive to watch, actually. At any rate, this is her first year requesting to be a jounin instructor, and she's never turned down the chance before so she made the first cut. She also put far more effort than most into her write-ups, and I'll actually be using some of her ideas for the other teams."

"A lot of people aren't going to be happy about this, you know."

"I doubt the kids or their families will complain, and no one else should have any say in the matter. If they do they are welcome to explain themselves to me personally."

Kakashi nodded, smiling slightly as he examined the file. This would certainly be interesting, if nothing else.

* * *

-October 23rd, 346 NE-

-8:00 PM-

-Konoha-

"Geez, you need to relax, Nai-chan," Anko said, poking her dango stick in Kurenai's direction.

"But I haven't heard _anything _since the Hokage called me into his office. Asuma was there too, and he's the Hokage's son! Granted the Hokage is usually very careful about avoiding favoritism like that, but he should know how his father thinks and have an advantage that way. Hokage-sama didn't even say anything about my answers, just 'I see,' and then he sent us on our way."

"Well, if he called you in then there must have been _something _useful, don't ya think?" Anko replied, trying to be supportive.

"Yuuhi-jounin, the Hokage has requested your presence for a meeting in his office regarding the team assignments at nine tomorrow morning," an ANBU said, dropping a slip of paper on the table in front of Kurenai. The masked ninja had already vanished to their next destination before Kurenai even had time to process what had been said.

Kurenai picked up the slip of paper with shaking hands, but it only repeated what the ANBU had told her.

"See? Everything's fine. If he wants to see you again it's gotta be a good thing… right?" Anko trailed off uncertainly. There was no way to tell for sure, really; the Hokage made a habit of delivering both good and bad news personally whenever possible. Casting about for a way to cheer up her friend who was swiftly working herself towards a nervous breakdown, Anko decided to offer the ultimate gesture of kindness and respect.

"Here… you can have the last stick of dango," Anko said, handing it to Kurenai. Kurenai looked at the stick in her hand, then looked at Anko's face. Her expression was so serious and concerned, but her eyes kept moving towards the dango in Kurenai's hand with a hungry glint.

Kurenai couldn't help it; she burst out laughing.

* * *

-October 24th, 346 NE-

-9:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

Eleven jounin were gathered outside the Hokage's office, eying each other speculatively. Everyone was wondering which genin they had gotten on their team. Kakashi was standing to one side of the room, reading his book and giggling quietly to himself, steadfastly ignoring the occasional dirty look he received from the others in the room.

The Hokage finally summoned them inside and began the meeting.

"First off, I would like to thank you all for agreeing to become jounin instructors. This position is a vital but often under-appreciated role that ensures the continued prosperity of Konoha. We actually had over one hundred applications this year, and those of you gathered here today have shown yourselves to be the most dedicated and thoughtful from among the applicants.

"I have reviewed your submissions regarding the potential teams, and while obviously not every idea can be implemented, there were several fresh ideas that your Jounin Commander and I have decided to incorporate. Now, as Kakashi has the most seniority among this year's applicants, we shall start with his team: Yamanaka, Naruto; Yamanaka, Ino; Hyuuga, Hinata. Their designation will be Team Seven."

There was a stir of surprise in the room; while technically not an official rule, it was incredibly rare for a genin team to have two females, even more so for one fresh out of the Academy. That Kakashi had chosen to snag both the Rookie of the Year and the Kunoichi of the year was no surprise, though; most of them would have done the same, given the chance. There had been a great deal of speculation regarding who his third genin would be, though the betting pool had been surprisingly even on that front.

"Now, moving on; Satoshi Yamashita will have Team One, consisting of...," the Hokage continued.

"Team Five: Ogawa, Kensuke; Mori, Mamoru; Fukuda, Noriko. Jounin Instructor is Sarutobi, Asuma."

"Wha- Hokage-sama?" Asuma asked, startled.

"Yes, Sarutobi-jounin?" the Hokage replied, his voice slightly stern and one eyebrow raised.

Asuma quickly stifled his objection, recognizing his father's tone and knowing no good would come from pushing the issue. "Nothing, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded sharply and continued. Kurenai's heart started beating faster when he began reading off the names for Team Eight.

"Team Eight: Haruno, Sakura; Aburame, Shino; Uchiha, Sasuke. Jounin Instructor is Yuuhi, Kurenai."

"Yes!" Kurenai shouted happily, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, blushing.

The Hokage just chuckled. "I hope you maintain that level of enthusiasm once you begin teaching your students, Yuuhi-jounin. I am expecting great things from you."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you, Hokage-sama. I won't let you down, Hokage-sama," Kurenai babbled.

The Hokage just chuckled again and resumed reading. Eventually he ended after reading off the name for Team Twelve. Every jounin in the room had been assigned a team, but it was Asuma who asked what most of the people in the room were thinking.

"Ah, Hokage-sama, what happened to Team Nine? There are also three students who graduated who haven't been mentioned yet… the Nara, Akimichi, and Inuzuka kids," he pointed out.

"Indeed, however their jounin instructor has been out on a mission the last few days and isn't expected back until tonight. As you no doubt surmised those three are on Team Nine, but I will refrain from announcing anything until I can inform their instructor personally. If there are no other questions, that concludes the meeting."

The other jounin slowly drifted out of the room, chatting about their teams. Asuma had a rather displeased look on his face, a stark contrast to Kurenai's exuberant expression.

* * *

-October 25th, 346 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Konoha Academy-

"Alright, now the moment you've all been waiting for: team assignments! Starting with Team One…," Iruka said, reading off the scroll.

"Team Seven: Yamanaka, Naruto; Yamanaka, Ino; Hyuuga, Hinata."

Ino pumped her fist victoriously while Hinata smiled and moved over to join Naruto and Ino at their desk. The other kids shuffled around to give her room, eagerly waiting to find out their own teams.

Naruto smiled and turned to Hinata. "Glad to have you on the team, Hinata-chan," he said, smiling. Hinata returned his smile, blushing slightly.

"Team Eight: Haruno, Sakura; Aburame, Shino; Uchiha, Sasuke."

The kids shuffled around again, exchanging grins.

"Team Nine will be: Nara, Shikamaru; Akimichi, Chouji; Inuzuka, Kiba."

"Hey!"

"And Akamaru, of course."

Kiba's canine partner yipped in response, drawing chuckles from the other people in the room.

More smiles all around; as they had expected, their group had been kept together as much as possible. Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged a quick thumbs up.

After Iruka finished listing the teams, he said, "Once again, congratulations to all of you! I look forward to hearing more about your successful careers as Konoha ninja. Your instructors will be along shortly to collect you."

Iruka had barely cleared the door before several ninja in jounin vests entered, calling out team numbers. Only one caught the groups' attention, however.

"Team Eight, you're with me," a female voice called out. The group turned to look and saw a woman with long black hair, fair skin, and red eyes standing near the door, smiling nervously. She didn't have a jounin vest, instead wearing a dress covered with what looked like crisscrossing ribbons that stopped just shy of her knees. Her eyes with their solid red pupils were particularly striking.

"Whoa…," Kiba breathed, "your teacher is _hot_."

Ino and Hinata both reached back and punched him in the arm. Sakura looked like she wanted to as well but was currently out of range; she settled for letting the other two girls handle the situation for now. Instead she stood up and began making her way down the stairs, Shino and Sasuke following close behind.

"Let's move to the training grounds for the introductions, shall we?" their instructor said, motioning them to follow her and heading out of the room.

"Lucky…," Kiba grumbled. "It'd be awesome if our teacher was that hot," he added, earning himself another set of punches. He winced this time, rubbing his arms. "Hey, you don't have to do it that hard!"

"Then stop being an idiot," Ino snapped. Hinata nodded along, glaring slightly.

"Naruto's the one who got two girls on his team and he certainly isn't complaining! We've got three guys, we at least need a female teacher!" Shikamaru and Chouji remained silent, even if inwardly they agreed – on both counts.

Naruto just turned to stare at Kiba, looking as if he was about to say something. He stopped, his eyes drifting to the side for a moment, before he suddenly grinned. Shikamaru groaned, recognizing that grin. Someone was about to be thoroughly embarrassed and he had a feeling Kiba was Naruto's target today.

"Now Kiba," Naruto said loudly, much louder than was strictly necessary, "I know you find older women attractive and all, but there's no reason to believe that your jounin instructor, if female, will simply fall for your manly charms just like that. Your instructor is almost certainly going to be an experienced and powerful kunoichi who could break you in half with her pinky; I doubt you'd have anything to offer."

"Hey!" Kiba shouted indignantly. "I do too have plenty to offer! You may have gotten lucky and beat me out for Rookie of the Year," he exclaimed, steadfastly ignoring the disbelieving coughs and snickers from everyone else in the room, "but before long me and Akamaru will be able to whip you without breaking a sweat! Once she sees how strong we are it'll only be a matter of time before the Inuzuka charm kicks in! I bet you if I wanted I could totally get my instructor to go out with me!" he proclaimed. He quickly added, "If she's female, of course. And hot."

Naruto's grin just grew even wider even as Akamaru began sniffing the air, having caught a familiar scent. "Hmm… how about we make a bet, then, if you're so certain?"

Kiba really should have known better, having spent several years hanging out with Naruto and having seen his more mischievous side at work, but he plunged ahead anyway. "What are the stakes?" he demanded.

"If you can get your 'hot female instructor' to go out with you on a serious date, even once – let's say within a year – I'll buy you a full set of A-rank ninja gear out of my own earnings. If you can't, you have to buy a set for me."

Kiba hesitated a moment, thinking about the cost and beginning to recognize that he had perhaps bitten off more than he could chew, but his pride was on the line now and he wasn't about to back down. "Deal!" he said, thrusting his hand out. Even as Naruto took his hand and shook it, sealing the bet, Akamaru began barking.

"What is it, Akamaru? You smell who?" he asked. Akamaru yipped again, and Kiba's face began to drain of color. He turned to look woodenly at the door even as a jounin stepped through it, a smirk on her face. She wore a standard jounin uniform and her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail. Despite being nearly forty years old, her skin was still smooth and fair and the jounin uniform only emphasized her thin, graceful form.

"Team Nine," Mikoto Uchiha announced dryly, "you're with me."

Kiba turned his head slowly back to Naruto, even as Ino and Hinata dissolved into laughter. Shikamaru and Chouji felt some sympathy for Naruto's latest victim, but were having trouble holding in their own laughter. Just thinking of Kiba trying to woo the Uchiha clan head – who was older than Kiba's own mother even if they privately acknowledged she _was _quite attractive – and imagining Sasuke's likely reaction was hilarious.

"I hate you so much right now," Kiba said.

Naruto just grinned. "Go on! Time to work that Inuzuka charm!" he said, setting off fresh peals of laughter. Even Mikoto was having trouble keeping her smirk from growing even further, and her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

"Hate you. So much."

Kiba slinked out of the room with Shikamaru and Chouji following behind. Naruto settled back into his seat as Ino and Hinata finally got their laughter under control. They watched as all the other teams were collected and headed out to their respective meeting places. Within thirty minutes they were the only ones left in the room.

They discussed their team's possible role, how they could combine their respective skills now that they knew they were on the same team, and made other idle chitchat as they continued to wait.

* * *

-Same Day-

-10:30 AM-

-Training Ground Five-

"Now, let's start with introductions. My name is Kurenai Yuuhi. I am a recently promoted jounin and you are my first genin team. I enjoy reading and creating and refining genjutsu. I like anmitsu and dislike people who look down on kunoichi for being female. My dream is to see you all reach the rank of jounin... and inspire more ninja to study genjutsu as seriously as they study ninjutsu and taijutsu. Sakura, why don't you go next?"

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I enjoy spending time with my friends and studying medical jutsu. I like green tea and dislike jealous people. My dream is to become a strong kunoichi like Tsume-sama or Shizune-sama."

"My name is Shino Aburame. I enjoy spending time with my friends and hunting for new species of insects. I like sweet things and dislike those who kill insects of no reason. My dream is breed a new species of kikaichuu capable of sustaining themselves with far less chakra."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I enjoy spending time with my friends and training. I like pickled beets and dislike those who blame people for the mistakes of others. My dream is to restore the honor of my clan."

"Excellent! Thank you for doing that. I know you know each other very well already, but I hope to get to know you better myself."

The three genin just nodded, watching their new sensei curiously.

"Now, I've got a bit of bad news for you... you aren't officially genin yet," she said, bracing herself for their protests. None came. "... you don't seem surprised."

"Naruto warned us," they replied.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

-Training Ground Ten-

"Well, normally we would introduce ourselves at this point, but I think we can skip that, don't you?" Mikoto said, smiling.

"Troublesome... it's going to be impossible to take it easy with you as our sensei," Shikamaru said. Chouji just shrugged, perfectly content with their teacher. Kiba was still sulking in a corner, occasionally rifling through his wallet and counting his money with a sour look on his face.

"You've got that right," Mikoto said, smirking. "I know exactly what you kids are capable of, and exactly how far I can push you. I also plan to make sure that you pick up some new skills. You're very well-trained for genin, but you've tended to specialize and avoided growing in certain areas. I will be correcting that," she added, a feral grin on her face.

Shikamaru just groaned and Chouji gulped nervously. Kiba continued to sulk.

"However, before we get to that, I've got some bad news for you. You aren't officially genin yet... and you knew that. Naruto-kun warned you, didn't he?"

"Yep."

"Hate. So much," Kiba muttered to himself.

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:30 PM-

-Konoha Academy-

Two hours later Naruto, Ino, and Hinata were still waiting, and starting to get rather hungry.

Hinata finally decided to comment, seeing that both Naruto and Ino were growing restless. "Did Iruka-sensei happen to mention a time limit? Or anything specific to our team?"

Naruto growled and shook his head. "No, he didn't. He apparently expected our teacher to be here by now."

Ino nodded in agreement, then sighed. "How long do you think we should wait?"

Hinata shrugged. "Do you think this is some sort of test already? To see how well we can follow orders, maybe?"

Ino frowned. "Maybe_..._," she said doubtfully, "but none of the other teams had to do this. Hey! Why don't you check and see if anyone is coming, Hinata?"

Hinata nodded and activated her byakugan, wincing slightly as her eyes adjusted to the intense glow coming from Naruto; even after years of seeing his aura it still took a few moments to adjust to it when her byakugan activated and it only seemed to have grown more intense as time passed. She took a quick look around and deactivated her bloodline.

"There's no one else in the building at all."

Naruto stood up. "Right, that's it. If our sensei can't bother to show up on time I'm not going to go hungry waiting for him. It's not like Iruka-sensei said we _had _to wait here, anyway. He said 'shortly' and we're way past that. Let's go eat lunch and come back, shall we?"

Ino hopped to her feet immediately, and Hinata hesitantly followed. "Maybe we should eat somewhere close by, so we can keep an eye out for our sensei?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Is there anything good around here? We don't usually eat in this area."

Hinata frowned uncertainly. "We don't either...," she confessed. Activating her bloodline again, she swept the area looking for restaurants. "Hmm... there's a dango stand, a small bar, a takoyaki stand, and... a ramen stand."

"Eh... let's try the ramen stand," Naruto said. "Lead on, Hinata-chan!"

* * *

-Same Day-

-1:00 PM-

-Konoha Academy-

The door to the classroom slid open, revealing a tall man with spiky silver hair in a jounin uniform. He had his headband slanted across his forehead completely covering his left eye. His hand was rubbing the back of his head as he stepped into the room.

"Sorry I'm late, I got lost... on the...," Kakashi trailed off as he took in the empty room.

"... huh."

* * *

**A/N: Ah, someone finally calls Kakashi on his habit of being late.**

**Don't think that I dislike Asuma or anything, he's alright and a hell of a lot better than most of the jounin in Konoha, but he absolutely _sucked _as a teacher in canon. So much so that I find it hard to believe he got away with it, though the same could be said for Kakashi as well. It's hard to tell with Kurenai, but Shino and Kiba both seem quite competent compared to their peers and Hinata had some serious issues outside of the team.**

**Naruto and Ino were pretty much always going to be on the same teams, but the rest were up in the air. I ended up going with combinations I thought could be interesting and balanced as well as something that felt fresh to me. We'll see how things go.**

**Tried to show some of the dynamic between the Clan Kids as well. I singled out Kiba because he seemed the most outgoing and expressive of the group apart from Ino (who has calmed down somewhat from canon), and would have changed the least from canon due to events in this story. He's not an idiot by any means, but he's definitely got an ego.**

**Revised: 09/17/2011 - major revision to the scene with Sarutobi, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai. **

**Edit: I decided to drop the whole "close- vs. mid- vs. long-range" thing. I wasn't explaining it well and it wasn't even really clear in my mind. A couple of reviews also pointed out that it was more confusing than anything, hence the revision. Hopefully this version makes a lot more sense and is more consistent with the known abilities of the characters.**

**Revised: 09/28/2011 - minor revision to team numbers  
**

**Edit: Prompted by a review I decided to change the team designations to "Team Gai", "Team Kakashi", "Team Kurenai", and "Team Mikoto" rather than using the numbering system. Henceforth any team, whether permanent or temporary, will be referred to by the name of its leader and/or ranking officer.**

**Revised: 01/18/2012 - fix to team numbers. Thanks to Anonymous Reviewer!  
**


	18. And Everyone In Their Place

-October 25th, 346 NE-

-1:15 PM-

-Ichiraku's Ramen Stand-

"Um... Naruto, shouldn't we be heading back now?" Ino asked, eying him warily.

"The jounin who entered the classroom is heading in this direction. He doesn't look happy, either," Hinata added.

Naruto just slurped down another bowl, letting out a moan of contentment. The stand owner, Teuchi Ichiraku, stared at the stack of bowls next to the blond with disbelief. How could a boy possibly hold that much food?

"Why have we never come here before, Ino-nee-chan? Why have we never eaten ramen before? This is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in my entire life," he said, motioning for another serving. Teuchi just nodded before serving up another bowl, watching as the stack grew even higher.

"I dunno," Ino replied, "we usually eat at home anyway, so I guess Tou-san and Kaa-san just never made it. I hadn't really noticed, to be honest. And, don't get me wrong, it's good, but... the 'most delicious thing ever'?"

Naruto just nodded, already devouring his next bowl.

"Well, that's great that you've found a new favorite food, little brother, but we do need to get going. I think our teacher has finally shown up," Ino said, looking outside the stand.

Naruto turned around, still slurping ramen from the bowl, to look at their supposed jounin instructor. Kakashi's eye was narrowed and even through the mask covering his face he looked angry.

"Genin, just what do you think you are doing? I believe you were told to wait in the classroom until your instructor came to get you," he said, his voice menacing.

Ino and Hinata appeared rather worried, but Naruto simply tipped back his bowl and drained the last of the broth with a loud slurp. Patting his stomach, he placed the bowl on the counter then turned back to Kakashi.

"Actually, we were told no such thing. We received no explicit orders, and were simply informed that _if _we waited in the classroom our instructor _should _be along _shortly_ to collect us."

Kakashi's eye narrowed even further, staring at Naruto and beginning to leak a bit of killer intent. When Naruto didn't say anything further, he turned to look at Ino and Hinata, both of whom looked quite concerned in stark contrast to Naruto's nonchalant attitude.

"Do you two agree with the smartass here? Do you honestly believe that you aren't disobeying orders by leaving the room before I arrived?"

Naruto raised one eyebrow curiously, but didn't say anything. Ino shook herself and straightened her spine. She nodded sharply, staring defiantly at Kakashi. Kakashi turned all of his focus onto Hinata, who shrank into herself a bit.

"What about you, Hyuuga-genin? What would your family say if they knew you were disobeying orders before you even met your instructor?" Kakashi pressed, raising his killing intent even further.

Hinata shrank back even more, but seemed to find a well of courage from somewhere and raised her head to face Kakashi firmly. "Naruto-kun is correct. We have disobeyed no orders."

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "If you simply admit you are in the wrong, I will make sure you escape the punishment waiting for the other two. There's no hope for Naruto and I'm sure he'll drag Ino down with him, but you don't have to suffer as well."

Her gaze never wavered. "If there is a punishment, I will face it with them," she said firmly.

Their jounin instructor just sighed, shaking his head sadly. "This must be some kind of record...," he mused, "you just met your jounin instructor and you've already... passed!" he finished, the aura of doom he had been projecting vanishing as if it had never been there.

Hinata blinked slowly before gaping in disbelief. The sudden loss of tension left her disoriented, but Ino filled the silence nicely.

"What the _hell _was that?" she yelled. "What do you mean we 'passed'?"

Kakashi smiled and plopped down onto a stool next to them. "The Academy graduation test simply determines whether you have the necessary skills and knowledge to potentially become a ninja; it's up to the individual instructor to determine if you have both the personal and professional mettle to perform the dangerous tasks that may be required of a ninja. The exact form of the test is up to the instructor, but both your teamwork and performance under pressure must be tested."

"Then...," Hinata said, beginning to recover from her shock.

"Yep, I decided to make that your test. You guys decided to leave the room as a team, and Naruto correctly pointed out that you had no explicit orders to remain there. However, that doesn't mean I couldn't be genuinely angry with you for leaving before I got there. I pressured you to see how you would react to having your own judgment challenged as well as if you would continue to support your team despite the threat of punishment or the promise of personal gain. You all passed easily!" Kakashi said happily.

Naruto nodded slowly. "So Hinata was right and we actually were being tested when you didn't arrive for two and half hours," he mused.

Kakashi started to shake his head, but changed his mind. "... Exactly!" he said, not entirely convincingly. All three genin narrowed their eyes at him, but he resumed speaking before they could respond.

"Now that you've all been fed and have passed the second exam, we can move straight on to the skills evaluation. Ah, and just so we're clear, this _is_ an order. We'll start with speed; you have ten minutes to reach Training Ground Seven, starting... now!" he said, and disappeared in a shunshin.

The three genin blinked before pulling out money and slapping it on the counter. "Thanks for the food," they shouted, and took off running.

Teuchi just shook his head slowly, gathering up the money. "Ninja are crazy," he muttered to himself.

"Hey Dad, I'm back!" Ayame called out as she entered the stand. "Holy crap, how many customers did you have?" she asked, eying the stack of bowls and the large amount of cash in his hand.

"Three," he said distractedly, counting the money.

"No, really. How many? Twenty? Thirty? I know you must have been busy, but that's no reason to leave all the washing for me," she complained, donning her apron.

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba dragged themselves into the backyard and collapsed near the other kids. They were dirty, bruised, sweaty, and generally looked as if they had been run ragged. The other kids, with the notable exception of Naruto, all looked nearly as tired and worn out. Naruto looked dirty, but he seemed to have as much energy as ever.

"Being a genin is too troublesome…," Shikamaru muttered. Chouji nodded, pulling a bag of chips out of his bag and beginning to munch away. Kiba just rolled over so he could glare at Naruto.

"Still hate you," he said petulantly. Ino and Hinata managed a laugh, but the other team just perked up curiously.

"What's up with those two?" Sakura asked.

"As you all heard, Kiba was rather taken with that black-haired sensei – what is her name, by the way?" Naruto asked. "Kurenai Yuuhi, right. Anyway, after you guys left he continued to complain about the distinct lack of a feminine presence on his team. From there it somehow turned into a bet that he could get his teacher to go out with him on a serious date within a year."

"_Somehow_ my ass," Kiba snapped. "You _knew_ who our teacher was and tricked me into making that bet."

"I can assure you no trickery was necessary."

"Hey!" Kiba yelled, insulted. He smirked though, looking smug. "It doesn't matter anyway, the bet is invalid!"

Shikamaru could guess what was going to come next, and slowly began rolling himself out of the line of fire. Chouji followed his lead and scooted across the grass next to him.

Naruto just smirked again. "And why would that be?"

"Because I said she had to be _hot_, and she isn't."

Shikamaru just groaned. "Kiba… you _really _need to learn when to shut up."

Ino and Hinata also saw where this was going, and moved out of the way as well.

Sakura looked between Kiba and Naruto, who continued to smirk at each other. "As much as I should feel insulted by this conversation, I have to ask, who is their sensei?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Kiba, as your teammate I advise you to start running now."

Kiba finally turned to look at Shikamaru and caught sight of Sasuke, who was watching the conversation curiously.

Kiba turned to look at Naruto again, glaring. "_Hate you. So much," _he growled, then turned and began running as fast as he could towards the gate that lead out of the Yamanaka compound.

"Why's he running?" Sakura asked, confused.

Naruto's grin grew even wider. "Because their teacher is someone we all know quite well," he began teasingly.

"… you're going to make me ask again, aren't you? Fine, who is it?"

"Well, our teacher is Kakashi Hatake, and since we passed the second test we are now Team Kakashi. Your team is now Team Kurenai, right?"

Sakura just nodded, looking annoyed.

"Their team is now Team Mikoto."

Sakura's mouth fell open before she turned to look at Sasuke and collapsed into laughter, setting off the rest of the group. Sasuke himself blinked slowly as he ran his mind back over the previous conversation. He then shot to his feet and took off after Kiba, already beginning to catch up.

Ino wiped her eyes as she got her laughter under control. "I can't believe he actually said that. I thought the first time was hilarious, but this was even better."

Naruto continued to grin. "Oh, there's more to come. He still has to decide whether to pay up now, thus admitting Mikoto is 'hot,' or refuse to pay up, thus implying that he either believes she is not 'hot' or that he will actually try to use his 'Inuzuka charm' on her. I figure I've got at least a week before he finally caves and pays up."

"And either way Sasuke is going to continue to be pissed at Kiba rather than you... troublesome blond," Shikamaru grumbled.

Naruto nodded smugly. "Exactly!"

Ino finally decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "So what did you guys have to do for your tests?"

Shino decided to answer her question first. "Kurenai-sensei created a layered genjutsu that we had to escape or dispel, then we had to track her down within the confines of the training ground and take one of two scrolls from her. We were informed that any of us who did not manage to take possession of a scroll within the allotted time would be failed and sent back to the Academy."

Sakura picked up the story from here. "We all managed to free ourselves from the genjutsu, and Sasuke-kun and Shino-kun tracked down Kurenai-sensei while I set up some traps. When they led her into the area I activated the traps and closed in. Between Shino-kun, Sasuke-kun, and the traps she was distracted enough that I could snatch both scrolls from her. After that I just gave one scroll each to Sasuke-kun and Shino-kun."

"Sakura-san quickly noticed the loophole in the rules and took advantage of it – the rules as given by Kurenai-sensei did not require that we maintain possession of the scrolls, merely that we possess them at some point. Thus we were able to all pass within the rules."

Shikamaru spoke up next. "Mikoto-sensei was much more direct; we had to land a solid blow on her, and the last one to do so would be sent back to the Academy. She gave us five minutes to prepare and vanished. There was no way we would accept being sent back, so we came up with a plan that would allow us to all land a blow simultaneously. She made us work for it, but I eventually managed to trap her with the Binding Shadow jutsu. From there it was easy for all of us to hit her at the same time."

Chouji nodded in agreement, then looked at Team Seven. "What did you guys have to do?"

Naruto just smirked and began, "Well…"

* * *

-October 26th, 346 NE-

-9:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Team One: passed."

"Team Two: passed."

"Team Three: failed."

"Team Four: passed."

"Team Five: passed."

"Team Six: failed."

"Team Eight: passed."

"Team Nine: passed," Mikoto announced, her face carefully neutral. There was suspicious coughing and shuffling from a few ninja in the room, but no one spoke up. The Hokage had made his personal support of Mikoto very clear over the years, and the other ninja families had pointedly gone out of their way to include Mikoto and Sasuke whenever they planned events. The Uchiha in general were quite unpopular, especially after Itachi's defection, but even the most diehard of Uchiha haters knew better than to say anything about Mikoto or Sasuke, especially in front of the Hokage.

"Team Ten: passed."

"Team Eleven: passed."

"Team Twelve: passed."

"Which just leaves Kakashi's team," the Hokage said as he finished recording the results.

"Team Seven: passed," Kakashi said as he entered the room. "Sorry for being late, Hokage-sama, but an old lady threw out her back and I had to take her to the hospital, then I had to feed her cat which was starving."

The Hokage just stared at Kakashi for a long moment before shaking his head and looking down at the paper to record the result for Team Seven. This also hid his mouth which quirked into a smile; Kakashi's excuses, while normally complete bullshit, could be quite amusing. Kakashi also kept things interesting by occasionally slipping in a real event amidst his other, completely made up, excuses. As long as Kakashi didn't keep _him _waiting long, he was more than willing to enjoy his antics.

"Hmm... ten out of twelve teams passed this year. With Naruto and his group pretty much guaranteed to pass, I had hoped for a perfect record this year."

"Ah, about that, Hokage-sama," Kurenai said hesitantly. "My genin had actually been warned that there was a second test ahead of time, even if they didn't know the particulars."

The other ninja in the room added their own reports, revealing that all of the teams had known ahead of time.

Sarutobi frowned, thinking. "Did they say where they got their knowledge?"

"Naruto told them, Hokage-sama."

"Of course he did," the Hokage groaned. Given how intelligent and resourceful Naruto was, there was no telling how he had found out. If he knew enough not to warn the other teams that the test involved teamwork, however, the results of the second exam were likely still valid.

"Do any of you believe your genin passed solely on the basis of their prior knowledge?" the Hokage asked.

The ninja in the room answered in the negative or simply shook their heads.

"Very well, I see no reason to modify the results in this case. Nonetheless, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Yuuhi-jounin," the Hokage said, nodding to Kurenai. "Next on our... wait. You don't think he told them about the D-ranks, do you?"

The other jounin in the room groaned.

Kakashi chose to intercept that question. "I don't believe so, Hokage-sama. His own teammates don't seem to be aware of what exactly a D-rank entails, given their level of enthusiasm when I told them they would get their first mission today. Naruto himself seemed to be enjoying their enthusiasm a little too much, so I do believe he knows and has kept the knowledge to himself," Kakashi said, smirking.

"Ah, excellent. Then let us discuss the schedule for assigning the first missions today. The photographer has been booked already, and we simply need to space out the teams accordingly. As usual, we will go by team number, so the former Team One will get their mission at one, Team Two at a quarter past..."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:30 PM-

-Mission Assignment Room-

"This is going to be awesome!" Ino said, marching into the room. The Mission Assignment Room served as the nerve center for the genin and chuunin ranks of Konoha. All missions D- through B-rank were assigned here, and teams would report back to this room after their mission to submit reports and collect their pay stubs.

The room itself was filled with several long tables stacked with scrolls of various colors. Each color corresponded to a specific mission rank and type, so that any experienced ninja could tell at a glance which types of missions were available and request one accordingly. Genin weren't expected to know this system yet, and so were assigned missions while they learned all the little details that went along with being a professional ninja.

The Hokage himself was seated at a desk in the center of the room. There was a large empty space before the desk where the genin team would stand that also just happened to provide a clear view from all the other desks in the room. His desk only had a few scrolls on it.

Sarutobi smiled pleasantly at Team Kakashi as they approached his desk.

"Hokage-sama? Do you always hand out missions?" Ino asked curiously.

"Not always, Yamanaka-genin, but I like to handle each team's first mission personally. It helps me get to know the ninja under my command a little better."

Kakashi cleared his throat before Ino could continue, and she held back whatever she had been about to say next.

"Team Kakashi reporting for duty, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said formally, saluting. His team quickly imitated him, getting into the professional spirit... or the appearance of it, anyway. Naruto stood slightly ahead and to the side of his teammates, angled so that he had a clear view of their faces without being obvious about it.

Kakashi continued, "As my team has shown considerable promise already, I would like to request that we be given a _special _mission to help showcase their talents," he said, looking steadily at the Hokage.

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked between the Hokage and Kakashi. Ino and Hinata didn't seem to catch the undercurrent and were glowing with pride that their sensei thought so highly of them.

"Oh, a _special _mission, is it? Are you sure they're ready for it?"

"Oh, after their performance yesterday, Hokage-sama, I feel that they have more than earned it," Kakashi said, his voice serious.

Ino and Hinata glowed even more, but Naruto's eyes kept darting back and forth.

"Well then, I suppose I have no choice," the Hokage said seriously. He set down the scroll he had been holding before and reached to the side, picking up a bright red scroll with a black ribbon around it. Even among the other tables there was no scroll that looked like this. The other ninja in the room grew quiet as attention focused on Team Seven.

The Hokage cleared his throat and addressed Team Seven. "Now, before I give you this, I must warn you that while many teams have attempted this mission, very few have succeeded, and even fewer have done so within the allotted time. Rarely is a team entrusted with this mission as their first, but because your instructor feels you are ready I will allow you to try. Do you agree to take this mission?"

Hinata looked like she was about to hyperventilate and Ino had fires burning in her eyes. Naruto tried to stop her, but Ino stepped forward and said firmly, "Absolutely, Hokage-sama!"

The Hokage smiled. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Your mission is to locate and capture Tora. The full details are on the scroll."

"Tora...," Ino said slowly. "I know that name..."

"I imagine you would," the Hokage said, smirking. "Madam Shijimi's cat is quite famous in Konoha, after all."

Naruto groaned and dropped his face into his hands. Hinata had stopped breathing altogether and her eyes were slowly widening in disbelief. Ino had the most intense reaction, however. Her face kept cycling between pale white and a flushed red as she took in the grin on the Hokage's face and the laughter coming from the other ninja gathering in the room. The flash of a camera finally set her off, however.

"What. The. FU-"

* * *

-Same Day-

-4:15 PM-

-Training Ground Seven-

"So, what have we learned today, hmm?" Kakashi asked, his eye focused on his orange book as he leaned against a tree.

"Never accept a mission before you know the details," Ino mumbled unhappily. Her arms were bandaged and her shirt had several rips in it that had not been there this morning.

"Cats can be surprisingly vicious," added Naruto. His clothes looked like they had been mauled by some wild animal and he had blood stains covering his form, though he did not seem to have any wounds.

Hinata looked up from her jacket as she used a needle and thread to mend some of the rips. "The Inuzuka aren't the only ninja who can use animals in combat," Hinata rephrased.

"Therefore...?" Kakashi prompted.

"Therefore we should always be wary of any living being, regardless of how harmless it looks," Ino said.

"Anything else?"

Hinata and Ino looked at each other and shrugged. Naruto sighed before he replied, "And we shouldn't needlessly antagonize our sensei since he can get back at us in unexpected and painful ways."

"Hmm... always a good thing to keep in mind," he said. He snapped his book closed and moved to stand in front of his team. They looked up attentively as he addressed them. "Now, let's discuss your performance during the mission. First off, Ino; no matter how upset you are, it's considered very bad form to curse at the Hokage. Many other genin make the same mistake when receiving their first mission, but I would advise against repeating it in the future."

Ino blushed and nodded.

"Hinata, excellent work in tracking down Tora, but you were far too hesitant to engage in the battle once you had him cornered. I understand that you have a fondness for cats, but you need to be able to put aside sentimental matters in the heat of battle. One second of hesitation can mean the difference between life and death, and enemies can and will exploit such moments ruthlessly."

Hinata nodded quietly.

"Naruto... I know you can heal quickly, but you are _still _far too quick to engage an enemy without first assessing their capabilities, and you are _still _too willing to take injuries during combat. I know other people have attempted to correct this flaw in the past without success, but I will be much harsher. I will restrict this team from ever taking a C-rank if need be."

"What?" Naruto cried out, echoed by Ino.

"I am deadly serious. I will not take my genin out of this village only to have you charge in and get killed in your first battle. I know you are skilled, but you just got your ass handed to you by a cat – how do you think you'll handle a real ninja aiming to kill you?"

"That was because I wasn't allowed to hurt it!" Naruto protested.

"And you think you'll never be asked to capture another ninja or take out targets without resorting to lethal force? The lesson all of you missed from this little mission is that it is much, _much _harder to fight an enemy that is aiming to wound or kill while you are restricted from doing the same. Tora is just the latest in a long line of cats bred and trained for ninja work, and he's capable of far worse than what he did to you today.

"Which also leads me to my last lesson of the day: D-ranks may seem trivial or a waste of time on the surface, but every single one of them has something to teach you. If you can't learn to look underneath the underneath and find the hidden meanings or unexpected opportunities you will never make it to chuunin, much less jounin. You and the other 'Clan Kids' are all quite skilled, but that skill has instilled a bit of arrogance in all of you. You've worked hard, but I daresay it's been years since you faced a real challenge."

Kakashi paused to take in his team's reaction to his speech. Naruto was eying him speculatively and was clearly thinking about his words. Ino appeared to be somewhere between hurt and angry, and she kept glancing at Naruto as if to gauge his reaction. Hinata was taking his words surprisingly well, actually – he had pegged her as a little shy and lacking in self-confidence, but she had repositioned herself so that she was sitting on her knees with her hands folded in her lap and her back straight, her face calm and composed as she listened intently. Of the three she seemed the least affected.

"Now, with that said, you all did a very good job on the mission. You actually broke the record for a team taking the mission for the first time, and were only twenty minutes off from beating the overall record. Your teamwork in tracking the target was solid and once Hinata engaged in the fight you played off of each other effortlessly. I don't know if you noticed, but the majority of your wounds came in the first three minutes of the battle; after that you kept Tora off-balance and took very few injuries.

"I believe Naruto already knows ANBU code, though he shouldn't have taught it to either one of you without the Hokage's permission. I have actually secured that permission and we will begin learning it tomorrow. Meet me back here at 9:00 AM – we'll take another D-rank and then spend the rest of the day training or practicing.

"Are there any other questions or comments before we dismiss for the day?" he finished.

Ino and Naruto just shook their heads, but Hinata spoke up. "Um... what the Hokage said, about this being a special mission – that wasn't just part of the joke, was it? He was entirely serious about that."

Kakashi stared at her for a long moment before smiling through his mask. "Very, very good; you're learning already. One more lesson before we break for the day, courtesy of Hinata: sometimes the things that are hidden 'underneath the underneath' are the things that are right in front of your face."

He stood and prepared to leave, but left them with a few more words before he vanished in a shunshin. "And I wasn't joking either – you really did earn it."

* * *

-November 2nd, 346 NE-

-Somewhere in the Land of Earth-

"You _still _can't find any trace of them? That can't be right. … No, we've been everywhere except the heart of Iwagakure at this point, and we should have been close enough. … Well, the last known sighting was over thirty years ago now. … It wouldn't make any sense to keep them that confined, though, and they'd have to be completely isolated, no contact whatsoever, to have eliminated all trace of them."

The man sighed, adjusting the staff on his back slightly as he shifted in his seat on the ground.

"Yeah, I don't want to think it either, but they probably have been, one way or another. … I doubt we're that lucky, and there's no way I can get in without being detected. … Yeah, the Land of Fire is next, but there are several clans that will be able to identify me easily. … No, I can still do it, we'll just have to be very careful. … If he is there, they've kept him hidden well – the rumors I've heard end a few months after the attack."

The man stood and stretched, then began walking at a steady pace.

"If we're lucky we'll find him while he's out on a mission. … I know, I know – it's never that easy for us."

* * *

-November 7th, 346 NE-

-Outer Realm, Exquisite Tree Mountain-

"What's up, 'Bunta? It's pretty unusual for you to summon me here," Jiraiya said. He was currently sitting in the Toad Chief's home. Gamabunta was seated across from him, looking unusually solemn.

"The Great Toad Sage requested that we speak to you."

Jiraiya grew tense. The last time the Great Toad Sage had anything to say to him, he got that damn prophecy. "If this is about the prophecy," he began.

"Relax, Jiraiya-kun," Fukusaku said as he entered the room. Fukusaku was a very small toad, standing barely as high as Jiraiya's knee. He was also over eight hundred years old and he and his wife Shima were considered second only to the Great Toad Sage himself in terms of power and authority amongst the toads.

"It's not about the prophecy, at least not directly," Shima added as she entered after Fukusaku.

"Fukusaku-sama, Shima-sama, it's good to see you again," Jiraiya said respectfully.

"You too, Jiraiya-kun," Shima replied, smiling. Fukusaku nodded in greeting before he cleared his throat. "Now, while we know that you have yet to fully master utilizing nature chakra, you have still advanced farther than any other Toad Summoner in the last, oh... three hundred years or so. We've wanted to have this conversation with you for some time, but the Great Toad Sage always told us to wait. Now, however, we can finally talk to you."

Jiraiya frowned. "What is this about?"

"Tell me, Jiraiya-kun... haven't you ever wondered why we have the summoning contract in the first place?"

* * *

**A/N: What _do _the summons get out of the contracts?**

**I don't think they ever actually explain that in canon (certainly not to the point where I stopped reading, anyway), and most of the stories I've read don't address it or hand-wave it with "they get the chakra." In this story there's rather more to it, as will become clear over the next few chapters.**

**I've decided not to do a full arc prior to the Chuunin Exams, mainly because I'm eighteen chapters in and Kuushou is just now in a position where he can take action even a little. What I will do is give some glimpses into each team's training and performance, as well as setting the stage for the Exams and beyond.**

**If any of the possible battle tactics or formations or jutsu or whatever I come up with don't make sense or seem inconsistent with this particular twist on the Naruto-verse, feel free to let me know. I'll try to explain in-story why it works (or doesn't), but feedback in that regard would be most helpful.**

**As always, thanks for reading!  
**


	19. Let The Blood Flow

-December 5th, 346 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Training Ground Ten-

Mikoto watched closely as Chouji and Kiba sparred. She had set some additional rules for the match in order to push her genin outside of their comfort zones; Kiba was currently fighting without Akamaru, and Chouji was not allowed to use any Akimichi techniques. As an Uchiha she had seen all too often what can happen if a ninja relied on specific skills too much and became predictable. She was determined to not allow her students to make the same mistake.

Shikamaru sat on the sidelines resting from his own recent spar with Chouji. His attention was focused on the fight as he observed how his teammates adapted to the rules; Kiba was used to fighting along with Akamaru and using the ninken to distract or herd his opponents, while Chouji relied on the raw power of the Akimichi techniques extensively. Even after several bouts where they had to fight under these restrictions they still had trouble adapting on occasion... though Kiba more so than Chouji.

Shikamaru winced as Kiba launched into a Passing Fang attack – the technique was powerful if it connected, but Kiba had difficulty landing it without Akamaru helping him restrict his opponent's movements. As expected, Chouji was able to dodge, using a quick substitution technique with a log. As Kiba battered the log about – his claws were not reinforced with chakra during the spar, so the damage was greatly reduced – Chouji charged in from the side, fist reared back.

As Kiba realized he missed his target and tried to leap away, Chouji's fist launched forward and caught Kiba square in the back. Shikamaru winced as Kiba bounced off the ground and all the air in his lungs was forcibly expelled with a loud _oomph – _even without the Akimichi techniques, Chouji's punch had some serious power behind it_._

Chouji pulled out a kunai and held it at Kiba's throat, but it was a needless gesture; Kiba was still struggling to pull air into his lungs and was in no condition to fight back at the moment.

"Match!" called out Mikoto, ending the spar. Chouji withdrew his kunai and stared down at Kiba for a moment, panting. He then reached down and helped Kiba sit up.

"Sorry about that," Chouji said apologetically as Kiba finally got his breath back.

"No problem," Kiba coughed out.

"Excellent timing on the kawarimi, Chouji; I'm glad to see you've been working on your mobility. Kiba, the Passing Fang was a good try, but even without kawarimi you would not have gotten a solid hit on Chouji. You launched the attack from too far back and he would have time to dodge it, at least partially; as it was he dodged it completely and managed to fool you long enough to land a decisive blow."

"Got it, Mikoto-sensei," Kiba said. "If Akamaru had been with me I would have nailed him, though."

"Which is the entire point of this exercise: you're so used to fighting _with _Akamaru you can't adjust to fighting without him. I readily acknowledge the devastating power that the Inuzuka human-canine combinations can produce, but there _will _come a time that, for whatever reason, you must fight on your own and I want you to survive the battle. I also intend to have Akamaru fight on his own so that he can get experience in this area as well.

"Still, that's enough for our morning session. Let's head to the Hokage's Tower to pick up our next D-rank, shall we?"

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru groaned as he stood up and began to amble towards the others. "We've actually completed the minimum number of missions required to qualify for a C-rank, you know."

"Hell yeah!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru barked loudly, echoing his partner's excitement.

"That you have, but what makes you think you'll get one today?" Mikoto said, arching an eyebrow.

Shikamaru sighed again. "We've already completed every type of D-rank available, including beating Team Kakashi's record for the Tora mission by six minutes."

"On your third try, yes," Mikoto pointed out dryly. "And I'm surprised to see you arguing for a harder mission, Shikamaru-kun. Don't you want a nice easy D-rank so you can relax?" she asked, her tone only slightly sarcastic.

Shikamaru nodded, acknowledging her point. "D-ranks are pretty simple at this point, but if we take it easy we'll fall behind the other teams. Team Kakashi has already left on their first C-rank, and Team Kurenai has met the requirements as well. It's troublesome, but we need to keep moving forward."

Chouji nodded in agreement, and Kiba added his own thoughts, "Yeah, we need tougher missions so I can finally get stronger and beat that smug bast- uh, guy," he finished lamely, correcting his language in response to Mikoto's glare.

"Hmm... we'll see," Mikoto said.

* * *

-Same Day-

-10:45 AM-

-Hokage's Tower-

"Oh, a C-rank, is it? Very well, you have met the requirements and if your sensei believes you are ready, then I suppose it's time," the mission officer said. He glanced at Mikoto and asked, "What sort of mission did you have in mind?"

Mikoto caught his eye in a steady gaze as she said, "I think an escort mission would be good for their first time. There's always weapon merchants traveling the roads this time of year, I'm sure we can handle one of those."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly. That was an oddly specific request, especially since Mikoto-sensei rarely worried about the particulars when requesting a mission.

The mission officer nodded slowly and reached over to a pile of green scrolls, pulling out one with a black ribbon tied around it. He pulled it open and scanned through the contents briefly, before rolling it back up and handing it to Team Mikoto's sensei.

"Yep, I think this one will do you just fine. The merchant sets out tomorrow morning, so you'll have til then to prepare."

* * *

-December 7th, 346 NE-

-4:00 PM-

-Between Konoha and Tanzaku-gai-

"You know...," Kiba mused, "I honestly expected something a little more... _more_, you know?" He jerked his thumb to the string of four carts they were escorting.

Chouji nodded, adding, "Yeah, so far the D-ranks were actually harder than this."

Shikamaru shook his head. "That's because the risk of enemy contact was zero. If the destination was inside Konoha this wouldn't even qualify as a D-rank."

"Precisely," Mikoto interrupted. "As Shikamaru-kun pointed out, there's always the threat of someone attacking the caravan, which is why these merchants decided to hire ninja in the first place. The Land of Fire is pretty safe so there's only a small chance of anything happening, but bandits do pop up from time to time. If there was a chance of enemy ninja interrupting the mission it would be ranked even higher, a B- or even an A-rank."

Her tone was relaxed and conversational, but her eyes kept sweeping the area around her expectantly.

Akamaru growled softly as he trotted alongside Kiba. Kiba's head jerked slightly, but he maintained his pace and showed no other reaction.

"Mikoto-sensei," he said quietly, "Akamaru has caught the scent of several other humans, maybe as many as two dozen. They seem to be on either side of the road up ahead."

"I see," Mikoto said softly, maintaining her place at the side of the caravan. "Hopefully it's nothing, but until we know otherwise assume they are a threat to the caravan and prepare to act accordingly. Unless things get out of hand, I'll leave this up to you; you need experience in such things and there's no time like the present. And boys," she added, "if they do attack, you are to do whatever it takes to stop them; the safety of the caravan and your teammates comes before the lives of your attackers. Understood?"

The genin stumbled slightly as they walked and looked a little pale, but nodded in acceptance. They had been training for years to become ninja, but never before had the prospect of having to take another person's life seemed so clear and imminent.

The caravan continued its plodding pace for a few more minutes. The genin tried to keep up a steady and relaxed banter, but their conversation was stilted and strained as they contemplated the coming battle and the fact that they would soon be making their first kills. Mikoto watched their reactions with a small frown, but said nothing further.

The tension continued to weigh upon the genin as they walked. When the arrows shot out from the forest and ten bandits charged the caravan from either side, shouting and waving their weapons, it came as almost a relief.

Now that they had a clear threat to focus on, their tension and hesitation melted away and they reacted with reflexes honed through years of training. Shikamaru hopped onto the back of one of the carts and pulled out a brace of kunai as he began analyzing the movements of the bandits, snapping out a quick command to his teammates as he did so. In response, Kiba and Akamaru charged out to meet the bandits on the right while Chouji moved to meet the bandits on the left.

Mikoto remained where she was and continued observing. She appeared completely at ease, but a close look would reveal that her jaw was clenched and her hands kept twitching towards the kunai holster strapped to her thigh.

The arrows were poorly aimed and only two came anywhere close to hitting a target; both were easily knocked out of the air by Shikamaru's thrown kunai. The bandits were running full tilt towards the carts, but both Kiba and Chouji were moving more than twice as fast already, and accelerating. Their hands came up and the flung their kunai with practiced precision.

They had both chosen to aim at non-lethal areas, so three bandits tumbled to the ground clutching their legs while a fourth lurched to the side and dropped his ax as a kunai buried itself in his shoulder. Another set of arrows came arcing from the sky, more accurate this time, and Shikamaru flung his kunai to intercept arrows that could have hit the cart drivers who were scrambling to hide under their carts or the horses who were beginning to stamp the ground and toss their heads frantically.

Mikoto continued to watch, her eyes sharp.

Kiba and Akamaru closed in swiftly, but the bandits finally showed signs of organization and began to spread out, trying to surround the genin and the dog. Kiba eyed them for a moment, noting the sharp weapons they carried and their apparent willingness to use them before he swallowed thickly.

"Akamaru!" he called, voice slightly unsteady. "Fang Passing Fang!"

His partner barked once in acknowledgment. Kiba and Akamaru jumped forward, both landing on all fours next to surprised bandits before they launched themselves forward, their forms blurring into a whirling cyclone of claws and teeth. Blood flew through the air and the screams of their opponents were swiftly cut off.

Shikamaru forced himself to watch Kiba's progress for a long moment before he turned his attention to Chouji's side of the battle. He absentmindedly stepped sideways to avoid another arrow; now that the cart drivers were safely sheltered beneath the carts, it was time to end the battle before the horses spooked and took off, possibly trampling their drivers in the process.

He leaped over the side and ran towards the bandits facing Chouji, his hands flashing through the seals for his most practiced jutsu even as he moved.

Chouji jumped to the side, avoiding a bandit's swing and punching forward, catching his opponent in the chest. The bandit stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, but the blow had been weak and he was already recovering and regaining his feet. Chouji cursed to himself; he knew he could hit much, much harder than that, but the thought of ending another person's life made him hesitate and reduce the force behind the blow.

The other bandits were slowly circling around Chouji, trying to completely surround him and remove his ability to dodge their attacks. Soon the encirclement would be complete and Chouji would be in serious trouble.

Shikamaru's shadow lanced out and connected with several of the bandits currently behind Chouji, freezing them in place. He was already stretching the available shadows to the limit, however; they were currently in the cleared area beside the road, the deep shadows of the forest far away from their current position.

"Gold General!" he snapped.

Chouji reacted instinctively, years of teamwork coming to the fore as he channeled chakra into his arms. "Partial Multi-Size Technique!" he called out as his arms and hands rapidly grew until they dwarfed the rest of his body.

He thrust his fists straight out to his sides, catching two bandits with punches that launched them backwards with a sickening crunch. He paid the sound no mind – and similarly ignored the wetness on his knuckles – as he flattened his hands and he swept his arms forward, smashing his hands together in a thunderous clap. Something wet splashed on him and he felt something slice into his hand, but Shikamaru's voice was already calling out another command and he immediately responded, trusting his best friend to guide him through the battle.

"Reverse! Knight!" Shikamaru shouted as his shadow detached from two of his victims and grabbed the last remaining free bandit. He was now holding three of them with his shadow.

Chouji spun in place as he raised his fists high in the air and them smashed them down, crushing two more bandits to the earth.

The remaining bandits began screaming loudly, but Shikamaru rapidly pulsed his shadow as he shuffled around, releasing and grabbing the bandits as he moved them closer together. Once he had them positioned as he wanted them, he raised his hand slowly into the air. His hand was empty but appeared as if it was holding something. The three bandits mimicked his actions, but their hands were not empty – each currently held a sword in their hands. Their eyes were wide and panicked as their bodies moved against their will.

Shikamaru swallowed thickly and thrust his hand forward, striking the empty air with all his might. The bandits mimicked his movements, but rather than striking the empty air they ending up stabbing each other. After a long moment Shikamaru released his shadow technique and moved swiftly to Chouji. His friend had released his own technique and was currently staring at his blood-covered hands.

"Come on, Chouji. We need to get the archers before they get away," Shikamaru said softly, his hand resting on Chouji's shoulder.

Chouji looked up and stared at Shikamaru for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

* * *

-Same Day-

-9:00 PM-

-Between Konoha and Tanzaku-gai-

Mikoto had talked to each of her students individually about their first kills. Their parents had talked to them before about this aspect of their duty as ninja and they were as prepared as anyone could be, but it was still a traumatic experience.

They all took comfort in the fact that they had come through it together and safe, and that they had done their duty in defense of innocent people. It helped ease the guilt and pain, a little.

Shikamaru's mind was focused on a different matter, though.

"Mikoto-sensei," he said, his voice breaking the contemplative silence that had descended around their campfire, "you knew the bandits were there, didn't you?"

Chouji and Kiba both looked at Shikamaru oddly before turning to face Mikoto. Mikoto considered her response for a moment before she nodded. "Yes," she replied.

Kiba frowned. "What, like before Akamaru spotted them? That's pretty badas- er, impressive, but she _is _a jounin..."

"No, I mean she knew about them before we even left Konoha."

Kiba looked at Shikamaru as if he had grown a second head. "There's no way she could detect them from that far away, jounin or not!" he exclaimed.

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru groaned. "Not detected them, _knew _about them. She knew there would definitely be bandits on this mission. In fact, that was the _p__oint _of the mission, wasn't it?"

Kiba still looked confused, but Chouji had a look of startled realization. "You mean...," he began, his voice soft.

"Yeah Chouji," Shikamaru replied. "The purpose of this mission was to have us fight – and kill – those bandits."

They all turned to stare at Mikoto, who met their gazes with a calm demeanor. "Yes," she said again.

"How did you-" Kiba started to ask Shikamaru, but he cut himself off with a growl. "This is more of that 'hidden truth' and 'under the surface' stuff, isn't it?"

Mikoto nodded, and decided to fully explain the situation. "As I'm sure you've learned by now, there is a lot more to being a ninja than jutsu and training. Like the Tora mission, all genin teams go through this at some point in their careers. Unlike the Tora mission, however, the purpose of this is very straightforward: this is when we find out if you can kill or not."

Chouji swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Those bandits?" he asked.

"Those were real bandits, make no mistake. By the laws of the Land of Fire they would be sentenced to death for their crimes. Konoha evaluates the skill level of such bandit groups and marks a few of the appropriate level as reserved for missions such as this. By allowing genin teams to experience their first kills against those who truly deserve it, it is hoped that you can be eased into the harsher side of ninja life as much as possible. It also makes sure that the jounin sensei is prepared to intervene should things go wrong."

She waited for the genin to say something else, but they all seemed to be lost in thought.

"Well, since you're prepared to think about the situation, let's discuss your performance, shall we?"

The genin turned their attention back to their sensei.

"Once the battle started you did quite well under the circumstances, but... your preparation, or rather the lack thereof, was _pathetic_." The genin flinched at her harsh tone. "You were so distracted by the idea that you might end up killing someone that you lost all sight of the situation.

"You didn't scout out to confirm the enemies numbers, instead relying on Kiba's vague report via Akamaru. You didn't confirm their positions, or their intent, or even their armament. You gave no thought to warning the caravan of an impending attack or working out a plan of retreat should things go badly. You didn't account for the horses at all – I had to hypnotize two of them to keep them from stampeding.

"You also gave no thought to a preemptive strike which could have potentially ended the battle before it began and possibly eliminated all risk to the clients. Now, before you start complaining, I know there are many factors which could have influenced your decision and the approach you ended up taking _could _have been the best one... but you didn't consider any of that. You surrendered control of the battlefield before the battle even started and allowed the enemy to strike at a place of their choosing and at a time of their choosing. If this had been enemy ninja instead of ill-trained bandits, you would all be _dead_ right now."

She examined her genin, noting their pale faces and grim expressions. It seemed they understood just how badly things could have gone. Good, that meant they were less likely to repeat their mistakes in the future.

"Fortunately, that exact problem is another reason why we have these missions in the first place. Now that you have experienced your first kills and engaged in a battle to the death, you are far less likely to let the thought of death distract you from your mission in the future," she said, her voice softer.

"We've got another hour before we need to start our night watch rotation, so until then let's discuss the actions you could have taken to better prepare for the fight."

* * *

-December 10th, 346 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The Hokage looked up as he felt a familiar chakra enter his office through the window. The ANBU guarding him tensed but he simply waved them off – even if Jiraiya was a threat, it was doubtful the ANBU would be able to stop him before he could do anything.

"Good to see you, Jiraiya-kun. You're a bit early for your scheduled report… there's nothing serious going on, is there?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Not for Konoha, Sensei. I need to talk to you, privately," he added, cutting his eyes towards the ANBU lurking in the office.

The Hokage motioned for the ANBU to leave. Once they had completely vacated the room, he touched a security seal and locked down his office.

"Now, what's so important?" Sarutobi asked.

"Have the Monkeys ever talked to you about the nature of the contract?" Jiraiya asked abruptly, beginning to pace around the room.

"No… I can't say that's it has ever come up. Why?"

"Can you summon Enma? I need to confirm something the Toads told me."

Sarutobi just nodded and performed the summoning jutsu. Enma, the Monkey King and current leader of the Monkey Summons, appeared in the room in a ready stance. His body was covered with white fur and he wore a black suit with bits of mesh armor barely visible underneath. His white tail whipped through the air behind him as he rapidly scanned the room. After seeing that he had not been summoned for battle, he turned to Sarutobi.

"Hiruzen, why have you summoned me?" he asked curiously.

"Jiraiya-kun here wanted to ask you a few questions, if that's alright."

Enma turned to look at Jiraiya, nodding slightly. "Ah yes, the Toad's summoner. I had heard they were going to make the offer to you finally."

"So it's true, then? All the contracts are like that?" Jiraiya asked, his voice tense.

"Indeed. Do you not trust your own summons? Given that you have progressed so far down the path of a Sage, I must say that I'm surprised that you would doubt them now," Enma said.

"It's not that- it's just- I mean- argh!" Jiraiya said, throwing his hands up in the air and pacing around the office.

Sarutobi turned to look at Enma, a curious expression on his face. "What is he talking about?"

Enma just looked at Sarutobi and shook his head. "I have a great deal of respect for you Hiruzen, so I will allow Jiraiya to inform you, but you both must agree to not tell anyone else." Jiraiya gave his assent, still partially distracted, and Sarutobi nodded solemnly.

"You can't tell me yourself?" Sarutobi then asked, confused.

"No. You have not made any progress in becoming a Monkey Sage, and have chosen to focus your efforts on your village instead. I can understand and respect your decision, but that also means that certain doors will remain closed to you. I will leave you to your discussion."

With that, Enma dismissed himself, disappearing in a puff of spoke.

"Jiraiya, _what _is going on?"

"'Bunta and the Toad Sages summoned me to Myobokuzan for a discussion. They said that hundreds of years ago there was an incredibly nasty war that completely wiped out several tribes and damn near wiped out the rest – and before you ask, they refused to say who or what they were fighting for some reason; I got the impression that they _couldn't _talk about it, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the surviving tribes were on the verge of extinction and a few didn't have enough members left to begin growing their population again… like the Toads."

"But…," Sarutobi started to say, but trailed off as Jiraiya continued.

"Yeah, they're doing just fine and dandy now, but they say that back then there were only a handful of them left. Somehow – and again they refuse to say how – they came up with the idea of forming contracts with ninja. They help out the summoner with whatever the summoner wants, within reason, in exchange for blood and chakra. They then use that blood and chakra in some process – and _again, _they refuse to say how – that creates new members of their tribe."

"… we have children among the Summon tribes?" Sarutobi asked, his voice flat.

Jiraiya shuddered. "No, thank Kami. That was the first thing I asked. Whatever it is they do doesn't work like that. They made it sound more like throwing wood on a fire than giving birth, but, again, no real details."

Sarutobi relaxed, his face betraying his relief. "So… what then? The contract allows them to repopulate their species? I would have liked to have known about this, but that hardly seems objectionable, or even something they'd really need to keep secret… although, why would they need the contract in the first place? Couldn't they just ask?"

"That's where the other bit comes in," Jiraiya said, still tense.

* * *

-December 15th, 346 NE-

-9:00 PM-

-Konoha-

"Mikoto-san, Kurenai-san, so nice to see you this evening," Kakashi said from his seat at the table, his book in one hand and a drink in the other.

"Since we are all teaching the 'Clan Kids,' I thought it might be useful to compare notes – especially since they will most likely continue to train together whenever not split into teams," Mikoto said, settling down at the table. Kurenai took the third seat, nodding in agreement.

"Hmm… sounds reasonable," Kakashi said, snapping his book shut. His eye focused on his fellow jounin as he continued. "Where would you like to start?"

"How about their 'first blood' missions?" Kurenai asked.

"You first then," Kakashi replied.

"Oh, um, well… we just got back from that mission two days ago. It went about as well as could be expected I suppose. The bandits didn't pose any trouble, but I had to explicitly order them to go for lethal shots; Shino and Sakura's abilities lend themselves more to non-lethal take-downs at the moment. They were a little hesitant, but they did get their kills and handled it well enough."

"How did they handle the planning phase?" Mikoto asked curiously.

Kurenai blushed in response. "They… didn't. Sakura had the hardest time preparing herself for it, and between helping her out and feeling worried about their own kills, Sasuke and Shino didn't spend any time preparing for the battle."

"Don't feel too bad, my group did much the same, even though they had Shikamaru and his brain. What about you, Kakashi?"

"Hmm… I finally managed to get through to Naruto about not just charging into battle, so he actually took the lead on planning this one. Hinata located the bandits, confirmed their numbers and armament, and Ino snuck up behind them and used the Mind Transfer jutsu to take one of them over. She sowed enough confusion in their ranks that Naruto and Hinata had no trouble picking some of them off.

"Once the bandits realized what was happening they attacked, and Naruto and Hinata took care of the rest with some ranged support from Ino. It could have been planned better, of course, but the caravan never so much as saw a single bandit, so I'll call it a success."

Mikoto and Kurenai just stared at Kakashi for a long moment. They had both talked to their teams about proper planning, but they hadn't actually expected a fresh genin team to do so well on their 'first blood' mission.

"They didn't have any problems killing the bandits?" Kurenai asked.

"Naruto certainly didn't, but this is hardly his first life or death battle. Ino surprised me with how well she handled it, actually – there was barely any hesitation on her part. Hinata was more along the lines of what I expected, but both her teammates supported her and she got through it with a minimum of fuss. They knew how to help her without any prompting from me; part of growing up a Yamanaka, I suppose."

They fell silent as they contemplated the results of the various teams. Kakashi broke the silence next.

"The Chuunin exams are hosted in Konoha this year, you know," he observed idly.

Mikoto nodded, "Seven months away, now."

Kurenai looked between them. "You're not suggesting that the teams will be ready, are you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they will be, actually," Kakashi replied, "but that's beside the point. The exams are in Kumo next and Iwa after that; the Hokage isn't going to send our teams into unfriendly territory. Between us we have the most prominent genin in Konoha as well as almost all of it's major bloodlines – that's way too tempting a target for Iwa or even Kumo. We also need to make a strong showing this year and sending in rookie teams that can compete with foreign teams that have years under their belts will look very, very good."

Mikoto snorted. "Everyone knows the exams are essentially rigged anyways, I doubt it'll make that much of a difference."

Kurenai recoiled sharply. "Rigged? We cheat in the exams?"

Kakashi and Mikoto turned to look at her in disbelief. "You seriously don't know?" Mikoto asked incredulously.

Kurenai felt torn between irritation and embarrassment. "Should I?" she asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I suppose most people would assume you already knew, and it's not exactly a common topic of conversation...," he allowed.

Mikoto shook her head in exasperation, but decided to fill Kurenai in. "As far as breaking the official rules of the exam goes, no, we don't cheat. If one village did it, the others would soon follow and the exams would lose any meaning whatsoever, not to mention that cheating would prove very boring for the spectators. However, nothing says that a village _must _send their genin to the exam, and it's obviously not the only way to get promoted; even in peacetime only thirty percent of chuunin are promoted through the international Chuunin Exams."

Kakashi interrupted for a moment. "I think you'll find among the current crop of jounin that very few were promoted in that fashion, actually. Between the Second and Third Ninja Wars nearly all the jounin I work with received battlefield promotions. You are actually on the leading edge of the group that has known mostly peace," he said, nodding to Kurenai.

"That said, actually attending the Exams is a very, very good way to get experience fighting other ninja in a relatively low risk environment. So each village makes a judgment call about which teams to send to 'enemy' Exams and which to reserve for 'ally' or 'neutral' exams," Mikoto continued. "If they always send weaker teams, other villages might tend to underestimate them, but then the spectators – which is to say, potential clients – also have a low opinion of that village and don't send mission requests to them."

"Aren't most missions fairly local, though? I mean, I can't remember the last mission I received that went more than fifty miles past the borders of Fire Country."

Kakashi shook his head. "For chuunin that's usually the case, but for jounin, especially Elite Jounin, it's a very different story. Any mission that sends you that far away from your village and potential backup is automatically an A-rank and quite often S-rank, the kind you have to specifically qualify for. Further, anyone willing to go that far from home is looking for some serious help, which means they are willing to pay serious money. A single S-rank can cost as much as one hundred times more than an A-rank; the _really_ nasty ones get even higher."

Kurenai's jaw dropped. Even if it was just ten times the average A-rank they were still talking hundreds of thousands of ryo. "What kind of mission would justify paying that much?"

"The kind no one ever admits to asking for or taking," Kakashi said, holding her gaze.

She quickly decided she didn't want to pursue that line of conversation – and _really _didn't want to know what Kakashi would consider '_really _nasty' – and turned her attention back to Mikoto. "So the villages 'rig' the exams by holding some genin back and sending others to make themselves look good?"

"Eh... yes and no," Mikoto said. "The village has to balance the risk of losing the team in the exam, the risk of exposing any village or clan secrets during the course of the exam, the chance to gather information, the chance to spread disinformation, the value of attracting foreign clients, the risk of alienating those clients, which genin gain experience fighting the best other villages have to offer and which are held back to go through the relatively easy exams held in their own or allied territory... there's a lot going on, and each village goes about it differently."

Kakashi spoke up again. "Konoha itself tends to take a balanced approach – we'll send one or two highly qualified teams along with a batch of weaker teams to 'enemy' exams and reserve the rest for allied exams. Lately the Hokage has made a point of holding back certain genin teams from promotions just a little bit longer than strictly necessary specifically so they could make a splash in 'enemy' exams - Hana Inuzuka's team is a good example. Still, we never send anyone to Iwa as it's considered outright hostile territory and we're very careful about who we send to Kumo since the incident."

Kurenai face lit up in understanding. "Ah, so if we don't make a splash now, it'll be over a year before we get another chance."

"Yep, and the Kiri Exams tend to be the worst attended, so it's really closer to two years. With a group of the potential this one has... well, we could make an impression that could last a lot longer than two years."

Kurenai nodded, then asked, "So... our teams will definitely be in the upcoming exams as rookies?"

Mikoto snorted. "Once they get a bit of real experience under their belts, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a real shot to win the whole thing."

* * *

-February 2nd, 347 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Ino and Kuushou had taken advantage of their day off from training and missions to retreat to their "private" training ground. The training and experience they were getting on Team Kakashi was quite valuable, but they couldn't talk openly or address some of the more unique aspects of Kuushou's skills around their sensei or teammate.

"Have you gotten any farther with the whole youki backlash thing?" Ino asked.

Kuushou shook his head. "The distance has only slightly increased. It's still far too limiting compared to what I could do before I was sealed."

"Well, how about progress on seals then? You've been studying them for years now, surely you've gotten _something._"

"Storage seals, security seals, and basic exploding tags is about it. They're quite useful, granted, but there don't seem to be any sealing specialists around to allow me to progress further; I already know more theory than most of the ones I've talked to."

"What about Sage Jiraiya? Didn't the Hokage mention him specifically when you asked about seals? He was the Fourth Hokage's teacher and he was there in the office after you got sealed, so he knows who you are...," Ino said uncertainly, trying to find some way to help.

Kuushou snorted. "I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since. If I remember his signature right he's only in the village once or twice a year and I haven't been able to 'accidentally' bump into him; he goes straight to the Hokage's tower and then straight out again."

Ino frowned and leaned back on her hands, thinking, "Well... the Fourth Hokage was a seal master too, right? He sealed you, after all, so he must have been pretty good... wouldn't he have notes or something?"

Kuushou cocked his head to the side, considering the idea. "Almost certainly, but where would they be?"

"He had to live somewhere. I know he didn't live in the same place Sandaime-sama did, the Hokage's personal compound. The Fourth actually passed a law that made what used to be the Hokage's personal compound into the Sarutobi Compound, in 'recognition for the many years of selfless service' of the Third Hokage."

"Does the Hokage still live in the Sarutobi Compound?"

"Yep. So... what happened to the new compound for the Hokage?"

"That... is a very good question."

* * *

-February 9th, 347 NE-

-11:00 PM-

-Outside the Namikaze Compound-

Between Ino and Kuushou it had been a trivial matter to determine where the Fourth Hokage had lived during his reign; they had actually seen it many times as they grew up, they had just never connected the rundown, ill-kept house tucked away in a corner of the Shinobi District with the Fourth Hokage.

Sneaking out of the house and avoiding the ninja patrols was also simple. The majority of the security was focused outside of the village, and internal security focused more on the civilian areas; ninja were expected to provide their own security when it came to their homes. Most preferred it that way anyway.

He had reacquired some personal ANBU watchers after the Itachi incident, but they had eventually been reassigned elsewhere after years without any sort of attack or threat so there was no need to worry about them tonight.

Kuushou straightened up as he finished examining the seal on the front gate. "Yep, definitely a blood seal. Lots of nasty traps – or what look like traps, anyway – waiting on anyone who tries to force the gate open, but just trying the lock seems safe enough."

Ino nodded excitedly. They were actually going to enter the Fourth Hokage's house! There was no telling what sorts of secrets he had left lying around. Maybe they could even find a scroll about how to use the Hiraishin! She giggled quietly, imagining herself being hailed as the Second Yellow Flash. Naruto would get to use it too, obviously; they could be the Flash Twins!

Hmm... ok, she definitely needed to come up with a better name that would properly capture the awesomeness they would soon contain.

Kuushou shook his head as Ino's gaze grew distant; she kept giggling to herself and mumbling the word "flash" over and over. He probably didn't want to know what that was about.

He pulled out a kunai and sliced open his palm, letting the blood splash over the seal. Since the body was that of the Fourth Hokage's son, his blood should release the seal. The seal began to glow a soft blue, and he grinned widely.

The seal continued to glow for a few seconds... then reverted back to its original state.

His grin faltered. The seal should have disappeared, or the gate should have opened, or something.

Ino snapped out of her daze when she noticed the seal revert back. "What the hell?" she hissed. "Why isn't it open?" She stepped forward and started to push against the gate. She barely had time to feel more than a small tingle before Naruto yanked her backward.

"That would be a very bad idea," he said quietly. "I can't even recognize half the trap seals on there, but the ones I can decipher would do very nasty things to _me. _I don't want to see what they could do to you."

Ino's face turned chalk white. "Oh...," she said faintly. "Right. No touching." She nodded shakily to herself. "Why didn't it work, though? You're definitely his son; it should have worked, right?"

"Yes. The entire point of using the blood seal is to make sure close relations can also open it; even the most restrictive designs still work for first cousins. I can only conclude that the Fourth Hokage is not the one who placed this seal."

"Who the fuck placed the seal on the Fourth Hokage's compound if it wasn't the Fourth Hokage? You can tell just by looking at the place that no one has taken care of it for years, and there's no way anyone would let the Hokage's personal compound just rot if they had a choice."

Kuushou carefully wiped away the blood on the seal, making sure not to make direct contact with the gate. It would be very bad if he left any evidence behind and this somehow got traced back to him. He knew all too well that even small drops of blood could be enough for a comparison and possibly a match. Just to be safe, he extended a small bit of his youki, razor thin, and burned away any of the remaining blood.

"Come on Ino-nee-chan, time to head back," Kuushou said, moving away from the compound. Ino followed behind, giving one last forlorn look at the dilapidated house. She mumbled something mournfully before she hurried to catch up to Naruto.

Kuushou's ear twitched. What the hell was "Flash Twins" supposed to mean?

* * *

**A/N: I've seen quite a few fanfics where the Fourth's house / mansion / compound / secret lab / secret portal to a dimension of wonder and delight is protected by a seal only Naruto's blood can open, and all he has to do is bleed on it a little to gain access to the secrets therein. Naruto also quite often has enemies inside the village that would want to gain access to those secrets. Given that everyone knows who he is, you'd think it would be a trivial matter to take a bit of his blood and unlock the seal. Even if you claim that the blood must be "fresh," there are plenty of ninja who would be fast enough to make it there within a minute. Or you could concoct some scenario where Naruto just happened to be near the compound when the blood was collected.**

**Further, even if Sarutobi was a good guy, he would have every reason to open the compound to maintain it or organize it or catalog it or whatever.**

**Anyway.**

**Just to be clear, no one Naruto is closely related to sealed the compound, so obviously Kushina (the next most likely suspect) is out as well. You'll have to keep guessing.  
**

**Hopefully my explanation of the 'first blood' mission and this particular twist on the Chuunin exams makes sense. **

**Next chapter will be next weekend, and we'll _finally _get to the start of the Chuunin Exams either Saturday or Sunday.**

**As always, thanks for reading!**

**Revised: 09/28/2011 - replaced team numbers with the sensei-based naming system  
**


	20. What's In A Name?

-February 27th, 347 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-A Few Miles West of Konoha-

"He's passed this way recently? Yeah, he's definitely out on missions then. It's a shame we haven't managed to run into him. … I'm sure he can detect you as well, but there's no guarantee he's made contact with his container. The Fourth Hokage was a seal master of the highest caliber, and his teacher Jiraiya was every bit as good with even more experience. There's no telling what sort of seal those two came up with. … Well, what now? We've confirmed all of them as best we can."

The man sighed quietly, staring in the direction of Konoha for a long minute for he turned and began walking west.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

* * *

-March 13th, 347 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"Kurenai-sensei, is something wrong? You've been training us especially hard lately, and you've seemed a little... tense," Sakura asked hesitantly, her voice concerned.

Shino and Sasuke turned to face Sakura for a moment, then looked at Kurenai expectantly. They had also noticed Kurenai's tension and had discussed possible causes with Sakura after their team was dismissed last week. It had started gradually but their workload and the hours they spent practicing had increased significantly lately, far more than seemed normal.

Kurenai startled slightly, then turned to face her genin. "What makes you think anything is wrong?" she asked.

The genin just stared at her for a long moment, and she blushed. Even to her that was a very weak defense. She sighed, and motioned for her genin to follow her. Their daily mission could wait for a while.

They settled down in a quiet tea shop that served her favorite brand. She allowed the genin to order their own drinks before she settled back in her chair and eyed them appraisingly.

They returned her stare calmly, each privately wondering what they were going to talk about.

"I'm not really supposed to say anything for a couple of months still, but there's technically no hard and fast rule about it. The other jounin instructors pointed out that the Chuunin Exams are in Konoha this year, and that all of our teams are likely to participate despite their rookie status."

Her genin appeared startled at her revelation – well, Sakura and Sasuke looked startled; Shino's eyebrow twitched slightly, which was about as startled as an Aburame got. She was learned to read him though, and the tells were there if you knew what to look for.

Sasuke sat back, deep in thought. "Chuunin," he mused aloud. "That's why you've been pushing us so hard? You don't think we're ready?" His tone was even, but there was a slight hint of accusation there.

She shook her head, blushing slightly. "No, you all were already near chuunin-level when you graduated, skills-wise at least. You've been acquiring the experience needed quickly as well, so by the time the exams start you will all be more than ready."

Sasuke relaxed, nodding to himself, but Sakura just looked confused. "Then why have you been pushing us so hard?"

Her blush deepened. "I... may have, um... madeabet," she finished quickly.

Both of Shino's eyebrows twitched this time. "You made a bet?" he asked. "With the other jounin instructors, I presume?"

She just nodded silently.

Sasuke looked interested. "What are the terms?" he asked.

Kurenai blinked, then looked at her team. They all appeared curious, but not angry. "I thought you would be upset," she said quietly. "It seems inappropriate for a teacher to bet on her students."

"It's not like you bet against us, right?" Sakura said, waving off her concerns.

"Of course not!" Kurenai replied, offended.

"Then there's no problem," Sakura said firmly. "Still.. what are the terms? Bragging rights or something?"

Kurenai waited until their drinks were delivered and the waiter left. Once he was gone, she leaned forward over the table, her students unconsciously mimicking her action. "No, not bragging rights. Something much better than that..." she said.

The genin listened intently, their drinks forgotten. Once she had finished speaking, Sakura surged to her feet, planting one hand firmly on the table. "We are _so _going to win this!" she shouted. Sasuke stood next to her, nodding firmly and already chomping at the bit to resume training. Even Shino appeared eager.

Kurenai smirked to herself as she followed her genin to the Hokage's Tower – she thought that would motivate her students properly. By the time the exams rolled around she would give them good odds even against someone like Naruto.

Oh yes, that bet was in the bag.

* * *

-March 20th, 347 NE-

-9:00 AM-

-Sunagakure, Kazekage's Office-

"You wanted to see us, Kazekage-sama?" Temari said, her tone professional and polite even though she was addressing her own father. She had her war-fan strapped securely to her back, and was currently wearing her normal on-duty outfit – a mesh body suit covered with a white robe that stopped a little above her knees and was tied off with a red sash. Her younger brother Kankuro stood stiffly next to her, his black body suit covering most of his body and head. His face was painted white with purple markings in what he considered his "war paint."

Gaara stood quietly behind them, staring dully out the window. He wore a mesh undershirt mostly covered by a black shirt, black pants, and a large white sash across his chest. A large gourd, nearly half as tall as he was, was strapped to his back.

"Yes. Your team will be attending the Chuunin Exams in Konoha in two months," the Kazekage replied, not even bothering to look up at his children.

Temari wanted to ask why they had been held back so long only to be sent to the Chuunin Exams held by their ally. She wanted to ask why he had waited this long to tell them, as she doubted he had only recently made this decision. She wanted to ask why he wasn't even looking at them when he talked to them. She wanted to ask why he didn't even bother to address them by name.

She wanted to ask many things. She'd learned to stop asking years ago though; he never answered.

"Understood, Kazekage-sama," she replied instead, saluting stiffly. Kankuro mimicked her action.

Gaara continued to stare out the window.

The Kazekage kept writing for a few seconds, leaving them standing in their stiff postures. He slowly signed the document he was working on and calmly placed it on top of a small pile on the side of his desk. As he moved the next sheet in front of him and began reading it over he added, "You will have a special mission while you are there; Baki will provide the details in due time."

"Understood, Kazekage-sama," she said again, still maintaining her salute. She had relaxed out of the salute before he gave her permission once. Once.

He made them wait for nearly a minute this time. As he added another paper to the slowly growing pile on his desk he finally spoke again. "While you are there, make sure you teammate doesn't do anything... excessive. I will hold you personally responsible if anything goes wrong."

Temari quivered in place, but saw Kankuro send her a warning look out of the corner of her eye. It took all her strength not to scream at the Kazekage, but she knew better that to give in to that impulse. She'd done that once, too. Once.

"You are dismissed," the Kazekage finally said.

Temari turned sharply on her heel and left the room as quickly as possible without crossing the bounds of propriety. Kankuro followed at her heels, and Gaara wandered out after them, his pace as relaxed and indifferent as always.

Temari stifled her anger and frustration as she left Sunagakure's administration building. She should be used to this by now. She should be used to the way the Kazekage treated his own children, the way he barely acknowledged them and refused to acknowledge Gaara at all, as his son or even as an individual. She literally could not remember the last time the Kazekage had addressed Gaara directly, for any reason.

She forced herself to slow her pace lest they leave Gaara behind. Gaara moved at his own pace, and other people either adjusted to match or got used to waiting. There was also a great deal of danger in leaving Gaara alone for any length of time; he was far more likely to kill random people when on his own. Merely being in the presence of his siblings seemed to have a calming effect on him.

And they _were _siblings. Despite what the Kazekage liked to pretend – Temari refused to think of that man as their father, not even in her own mind – or what the other people in the village thought, Gaara was their brother. She would never forget that, nor would Kankuro.

She was afraid that if they did, there would be nothing to stop Gaara from becoming the monster everyone else already believed him to be.

* * *

-April 4th, 347 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Ino settled back into Naruto's fur as she mulled over the memory she had just witnessed. Naruto had asked her to perform the Mind Delve technique on him again so that he could get her perspective on certain memories.

"Hmm... I didn't pay much attention to it the first time, but Tsunade said something about your youki and your chakra vibrating? Have you ever figured out what that meant?"

"My first guess was that it has something to do with my youki controlling the chakra forcefully, but that didn't make sense; merely making contact causes that reaction, regardless of whether I do anything with the chakra or not."

"Have you tried seeing if your youki causes this reaction with other people?"

"I haven't had a chance to experiment with that."

"You could try it on me," Ino offered.

"... on someone I wouldn't mind killing or otherwise damaging."

"Ah... never mind. Actually, am I not in contact with your youki now?"

"No, I've made sure you are only exposed to my blended chakra. I don't want to risk anything until I have a better idea of what pure youki does to a human."

"Ah, gotcha. What about your... 'alterations' then?"

"It's slow going. It's mostly trial and error, and it's proving quite difficult to alter the physiology of my body without being obvious about it."

"How obvious is obvious?"

An image suddenly appeared before Ino. At first glance it appeared to be some sort of deformed bear with red fur.

"That's...," she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Increased muscle mass and density, strengthened bones, increased height, thicker chakra coils, hardened skin, sharpened senses, improved dexterity and reach, faster speed... just about everything I could think of I threw in."

"... and the fur?"

"Like I said, it's hard without being obvious about it."

"... fur?"

"Anyway, I've been able to slowly increase muscle mass and density and strengthen the bones, and my chakra coils are as expanded as this body will currently support. I haven't found a way to tweak my senses without the side effects. Everything else is a work in progress."

"By side effects you mean the fur."

"_Anyway, _I'm currently working on my eyes, but I seem to have hit a limit where the youki concentration is concerned. If I boost it anymore side effects start showing up, and I don't think the ninja would react well."

"Fur on your _eyes?_" Ino asked, sounding disgusted.

"No! Will you stop it with the fur already? The pupils start slitting at first, and if I boost it even further they turn blood red. Something like this," Naruto said, creating a new image and dismissing the old one.

Ino stared at the eyes for a long moment before she grinned. "Now _that _is cool. You should totally do that."

"And you don't think anyone will notice or care?"

"Oh, they'll notice alright, and they'll definitely care, but you already pointed out that you've been increasing your youki over time, and you've already got the whiskers to show that certain physical traits bleed through. If you make it gradual, they would accept the eyes for the same reason."

"... an excellent point. I had forgotten about that."

"What do they do, anyway?"

"Sharper vision, mainly. Oh, and they might, perhaps, maybe see through genjutsu," he added offhandedly, his tone smug.

"... seriously?"

"Oh yes. I may have to hold back to allow genjutsu to affect me personally, but I'm still susceptible to external or wide-area genjutsu. With this enhancement I'll be able to take care of that problem as well."

"That is so not fair. Now I'll be the only one on the team without a defense against genjutsu. Even Kakashi-sensei has his sharingan."

"That is true... we'll have to come up with something for you as well."

"What, you're going to alter my body too?"

"That's... actually, theoretically I could, I suppose. I've been using youki as a basis for everything so far, but some of the simpler things would work without such support. I'll have to think on this."

"No fur," Ino said quickly.

"Enough with the fur!"

* * *

-April 23rd, 347 NE-

-Konoha Hospital-

Shizune looked up from her paperwork as the door to her office opened and her favorite genin walked in. His head was lowered as he closed the door behind him, and he kept his gaze focused on the floor as he settled into a seat in front of her desk.

"Hey Naruto-kun, it's nice to see you again. You don't come around often enough after you graduated," she said cheerfully.

"It's nice to see you too Shizune-nee-chan, but I'm not here just to visit. I noticed something a little weird this morning and thought I should get it checked out."

Shizune's mind went straight to the sorts of "weird" things that started happening to boys Naruto's age, but quickly dismissed that. He was a qualified med-nin and knew everything there was to know about puberty or anything else related to the human body, and he had never seemed particularly concerned about his health before.

_That _thought sent a shiver of fear down her spine. Naruto had _never _worried about his body or health before, so for him to worry and want to have it checked out...

She was out of her seat and kneeling in front of him the next moment, her hand already glowing green as she scanned his body. "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked quickly.

Naruto caught her hand and held it. She snapped her head up in surprise and looked up at him to ask what he was doing... and drew in a sharp breath.

His blue eyes held her gaze steadily, the pupils elongated unnaturally. They were no longer perfectly round, instead beginning to warp into an oval that was stretched vertically. A casual glance wouldn't see anything amiss yet, but anyone looking directly into his eyes would notice quickly.

"Oh," she breathed softly.

"Yeah, I just noticed it this morning. Do you know why this is happening?" Naruto asked.

"Um, well, not offhand. Let me just... have a look," she said, moving her hand over his face. She spent several moments using every diagnostic jutsu she knew on his eyes. Once she was done, she slowly moved back to her desk and sat down heavily.

"Well?" Naruto asked. "I'd like to try myself, but diagnostic jutsu never work quite right when you scan yourself."

Shizune absentmindedly nodded in agreement. "There's nothing... _wrong_," she said slowly. "We thought the concentration of the tailed beast's chakra had peaked, but that seems to have been merely temporary. The concentration has begun increasing again, and it looks like this is a side effect, much like your facial markings."

"Oh... so you think my eyes will keep changing?"

"Probably," she said. "I'll let the Hokage know about this and explain that this is a natural progression of your condition."

"You don't think... that they'll...," Naruto said hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably.

Shizune was confused for a moment before she understood what he was trying to say. She moved back around her desk and wrapped Naruto in a hug. "No one will think badly of you because of this, Naruto-kun. There are plenty of ninja who have physical changes because of bloodlines or jutsu. This is no different than the byakugan or the sharingan."

"Thanks, Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto replied, slowly relaxing.

* * *

-June 4th, 347 NE-

-Otogakure-

"I thought I told you I wasn't to be disturbed!" snapped Orochimaru as he looked up from the table in his lab. He had been working on this particular experiment for the better part of a month and had reached a delicate stage.

"I don't believe you told _me _that, not that I would care anyway," a voice replied as a man emerged from the shadows, a body slung across his shoulder. His entire form was hidden by his voluminous black cloak, but the headband with a scratch across it marking him as a missing-nin from Takigakure and his pupiless green eyes were all that Orochimaru needed to identify him. Not that many other people could have gotten this far without setting off alarms anyway.

"Ah, Kakuzu, so nice to see you. I take it you have another delivery for me?" Orochimaru said, his mouth spreading into a grin that was far too wide for his face.

"Only after I get my money, Orochimaru," Kakuzu said, not moving.

"Of course, of course," Orochimaru replied, writing out a note on a handy piece of paper. "Present this to my assistant and you will be paid as promised."

Kakuzu took the note and eyed it critically. Satisfied, he dropped the body on the floor and turned to leave.

"Going so soon, Kakuzu? Aren't you curious what I want him for? Curious to see the fruits of my labors?"

"No," replied Kakuzu shortly.

Orochimaru shook his head as he sensed Kakuzu depart the lab. The man was an excellent shinobi and possibly the most effective hunter-nin in all the Elemental Nations, but he had no appreciation for the finer things in life. It was always money with him, as if money truly meant anything.

Indeed, one only had to look at Otogakure itself to see the truth of that statement. The pathetic scraps of talentless ninja and desperate missing-nin he had gathered under his banner couldn't hold a candle to even a minor village, much less one of the Great Five; but they made more than enough money to fund his personal research. All they had to do was take the dangerous and undesirable jobs the other villages refused to even consider and he had all the money he could possibly want.

No, it was research that mattered. He felt a pang of regret as he remembered the resources and opportunities he had when he was still a Konoha ninja. So many bloodlines, so many powerful ninja to observe. His fool of a teacher had managed to stumble across some of his more... objectionable work and driven him from the village, forcing him to leave behind years of notes and gathered materials.

Even his first success had abandoned him, choosing to honor the village that would stifle her potential rather than continuing to grow stronger as one of his experiments. It was her loss, really; he had improved the cursed seal many times over while she endured that simplistic first design. Even the trash of this village could be worth something when he applied his latest cursed seal to them.

He sighed as he recalled the body transfer jutsu he had been working on. He had been so close, he was sure of it, but all his work and his best materials had been left behind. With no worthy body at hand and unwilling to risk his life to acquire one without the benefit of a backup plan, he had been forced to shift his priorities.

He shivered when he recalled his encounter with Itachi. _That _had almost been the end of him; even with all the work he had done to strengthen his own body and the many regeneration jutsu he had acquired or invented over the years, he had almost exhausted all of his reserves and perished that night. He hated to admit it, but he was lucky Itachi had been more focused on the scroll than their battle.

Still, his mission to acquire the scroll had not been a complete loss. He may not have the scroll, but he had managed to acquire another item that night, one that he had spent the years since studying and attempting to replicate. His current experiment, if successful, should open up a whole new realm of possibilities.

Speaking of...

Orochimaru's grin widened as he turned to observe the body on the floor. The unfortunate man's chest rose and fell slowly as he breathed. Good, very good; it was always better when they were alive. He got twice as much use out of them that way.

"Kukuku... I have something _very _special in mind for you," he cackled.

* * *

-June 18th, 347 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Training Ground Seven-

Jiraiya stared at Kakashi and his team from his spot among the trees. The genin were currently sparring with Kakashi three-on-one, trying to take him down by any means necessary. He still had his sharingan eye covered, though, so it didn't seem like he was taking them too seriously. Naruto and Hinata were tag-teaming Kakashi at close range while Ino provided ranged support, throwing kunai and causing the occasional spike of earth to thrust up at him. That she managed to avoid hitting her own teammates while still threatening Kakashi himself was impressive and spoke well of their teamwork.

As he continued to watch, Ino waited until Kakashi's back was turned, then suddenly changed tactics and charged forward. Her acceleration was easily chuunin level and she was right in the mix with the other two within a second. Her own attacks blended seamlessly with Naruto's and Hinata's as they circled Kakashi. Two of them were attacking at any moment while the third was covering their weak spots and blocking Kakashi's counters.

Jiraiya was impressed. Kakashi wasn't fighting anywhere near his full strength, but for three genin to fight at this level was nearly unheard of. His brow furrowed as their formation suddenly shifted; Ino led the charge with Hinata close behind while Naruto slipped around to Kakashi's back. This should be interesting.

His eyes widened as Hinata suddenly began striking at Kakashi from _behind _Ino, her body twisting around Ino's and her hands whipping towards Kakashi's arm that was currently extended in a punch. Ino herself had adopted a defensive stance but didn't stop her own attacks. The whole thing seemed ridiculous at first glance, but the two girls were standing so closely together and seemed to effortlessly predict each other's movements. The overall effect was as if Kakashi was suddenly fighting two people in the same spot. Their wildly different attack patterns had to be throwing him off as well.

Kakashi swayed back and forth for a moment as he observed them, then kicked straight ahead. Ino managed to block in time and caught the kick aimed for her stomach on her arms. She winced, but her feet didn't budge an inch. Kakashi quickly pulled back as Ino tried to grab his leg and Hinata's hands blurred towards it, threatening to close the tenketsu points and render his leg useless.

Still, Jiraiya shook his head in disappointment. The skill required to pull that off was impressive, but it was more a trick than a battle tactic. All Kakashi needed to do was retreat; Jiraiya could already tell that Ino's feet were planted firmly on the ground as she performed the Standing Rock jutsu, part of her contribution to this little maneuver.

Before Kakashi had the chance to do so, however, Naruto joined the fray and the other part of their plan became clear. Kakashi couldn't afford to look away from Ino and Hinata as he avoided their strikes, and Naruto was already attacking before he had a chance to move away. Naruto's fist lashed out and a loud _crack _echoed throughout the clearing.

Jiraiya whistled lowly. Judging by the damage done to the log Kakashi had switched with, Naruto was a _lot _stronger than he looked. It reminded him of Tsunade-hime's strength a little.

"Alright, that's enough for now," Kakashi called out. He was currently leaning against a tree casually, not even looking winded from the spar. Ino and Hinata were breathing deeply but not exactly panting, and Naruto looked every bit as rested as Kakashi did. The three genin moved over to Kakashi and plopped down on the grass, looking attentive but relaxed.

"Good work on that last bit, that was definitely… unexpected. You probably could have caught most opponents with Hinata's first strike, and quite a few more with Naruto's follow-up. Still, that puts Ino in particular at high-risk, so I wouldn't use that one on a taijutsu specialist. My little kick was roughly chuunin-level, and she isn't ready to handle anything higher than that."

Ino winced, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, Lee kicks harder than you did. Then again, he has those damn weights of his…," she added.

Kakashi nodded sagely. "I'm glad to see you understand, although measuring taijutsu based on Gai or Lee is like using Naruto here as a base-line for chakra reserves."

Naruto shuffled over until he was sitting next to Ino, his hands already glowing green. She immediately held out her arms, leaning against him as he healed the bruises.

Kakashi watched them for a moment, smiling to himself, before he resumed his analysis. "Hmm… Ino was supposed to grab hold of me somehow to lock me down for either Hinata's or Naruto's follow up, right? Have you considered trying that combination with Naruto in Ino's place?"

Naruto just nodded distractedly, but Hinata's face turned suspiciously red. Ino stepped in to save Hinata from having to answer. "We did, but I don't have enough power and speed behind my taijutsu to take advantage of the opening which leaves the third role kinda useless."

"Did you consider ninjutsu?"

Ino's mouth opened to reply, but she paused. "… uh, no, actually. Wouldn't that hit Naruto and Hinata as well?"

"Not necessarily," Kakashi corrected. "Your timing and communication is very good already, and Hinata could use her byakugan to see the jutsu approaching and judge when best to move away. Both she and Naruto are fast enough to move out of range."

Naruto finished his work on Ino and moved over to Hinata. Her face was still a little red but she allowed him to fix up the few bruises and scrapes she had acquired during the spar.

"What jutsu would work best with that?" Hinata asked quietly, trying to ignore the tingling from Naruto's hands running over her arms and shoulders.

Kakashi paused to consider for a moment. "Hmm… Ino has a lightning affinity, but her aim isn't precise enough yet. Her secondary earth affinity could work here. Any of the Boulder jutsu, even something like a mud jutsu could catch your opponent. This doesn't have to be a finisher, you know."

"What about the Head Hunter?" Ino asked.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Still upset that I caught you with that, hmm?"

"More upset that you won't teach it to us."

"Ah, but it was so amusing to make you sweat for it. You're right though, that would be another good one, assuming you were quick enough or already in place. I guess I'll finally have to teach you that one. Why don't you guys try that move out again with those changes during the next spar?"

Naruto just nodded again, but Hinata squeaked quietly and blushed further. Kakashi hid it well, but he was definitely smirking under his mask.

"Well, time to pick up our mission… unless our visitor has something to add?" Kakashi said, raising his voice and turning to look at Jiraiya's hiding place.

Jiraiya just smirked and launched himself out of the tree, landing roughly ten feet away from the group. Time to make his entrance.

"The Strongest in the North! The South! The East! The West!" he chanted, hopping on one foot as he danced about and waved his hands dramatically through the air. "The Ever-Popular! The Ever-Gallant! The Ever-Brilliant! Behold, it is I! The Toad Sage, Jiraiya-sama has arrived!" he finished, striking a pose. He observed his audience to gauge their reactions.

Kakashi was no longer leaning against the tree in his relaxed pose. Instead he was standing straight, his eyes shining and one hand digging into the pouch at his side. Jiraiya knew he was a fan, though, so a certain level of adulation was expected. It was the kids he was interested in.

Ino and Hinata were staring at him, jaws slack as they observed his amazing performance… or out of disbelief. Sadly, he admitted it was likely the latter – women seemed to have trouble understanding the art his work contained. He turned his eyes to Naruto.

Naruto had a large smile on his face and was watching him eagerly, observing his every movement. Excellent! He had already made a good impression there. Trust Minato's son to know brilliance when he saw it. Before he could speak, however, Kakashi had appeared before him brandishing an orange book and a pen.

"Jiraiya-sama, could you please – if it's not too much trouble, of course – please...," Kakashi added, motioning to the book.

Jiraiya just smiled and accepted the book, flipping to the title page and signing with a dramatic flourish. "Anything for one of my greatest fans," he said.

Kakashi giggled to himself, carefully stowing the book away in his pouch. He then cleared his throat and shifted to a more serious demeanor.

"What can I do for you, Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Actually I'm here for Naruto," he replied. "Since you just finished up your sparring session, I'm sure you won't mind if I borrow him for a bit? Shouldn't take more than an hour at most," he added.

Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly. "May I ask what you want him for? As his jounin instructor I should be kept apprised of any official business concerning my genin."

Jiraiya was actually impressed; most ninja wouldn't dare question him on any level, but it looked like Kakashi was very protective of his students. Nodding respectfully, he replied, "And you will be, should anything official happen. For the moment this is simply an... interview, of sorts."

Kakashi's eye widened as he considered what Jiraiya could mean by that, and he nodded slowly. "Very well. We'll wait for him at the Hokage's Tower."

Kakashi gathered up Ino and Hinata and headed off. Ino in particular wanted to stay, but relented when Naruto motioned for her to go on.

Now that they were alone, Jiraiya took a moment to size up Minato's son. He stood a couple of inches over five feet, but seemed to be avoiding the awkward lankiness that plagued some kids. His yellow hair was kept short but still managed to spike up, reminding Jiraiya of Minato's own hairstyle. His blue eyes were exactly like his father's, though his smile had a slightly mischievous look to it that reminded him strongly of Kushina.

Kami, he felt depressed just looking at the kid. Everything about him reminded him of mistakes he had made and promises he had failed to keep. He knew that he had been kept far too busy as Konoha's spymaster and strongest active shinobi to have possibly looked after Naruto properly, but that didn't stop the guilt from clawing at him. He could have done more, somehow. Visited more often, looked in on him every now and then... something.

Instead, here he was, twelve years after the kid was born and only now meeting him properly for the first time. He had no doubt that things had turned out for the best for Naruto; the Yamanakas had given him a true home and, by all accounts, a true family. That was something he never could have provided, even without the demands on his time from his ninja work. Families just... weren't his thing. His first try to form bonds on that level – Team Hiruzen – had turned into a disaster that still haunted him to this day. That pattern continued with every attempt thereafter. It had taken him over ten years to work up the nerve to try one last time with Minato's son, and even that decision had required a serious push from both the Toads and Sensei.

Bah. All this morose crap wasn't like him. He was about to make up for all his failures in one fell swoop and none of the dangers that had felled his other students loomed over Naruto. There was no need to dwell on the past.

"So, I hear you're pretty good, for a brat," he said awkwardly.

Naruto just stared at him for a long moment, then finally shook his head slightly. "So I'm told," he replied, his voice flat.

Yeah, not the best conversation starter.

"Right, well, let's just get to it, shall we? I'm here to make you a once-in-a-lifetime offer that I think you're going to love. My... duties... are about to change and I need to pass on my skills to the next generation before I move on. I carefully evaluated all the ninja available in an exhaustive process, as well as consulting with the Hokage, and I have come to the conclusion that _you _are uniquely qualified to become my next apprentice," Jiraiya said.

Naruto's eyes widened and another smile appeared on his face. At least he seemed interested, Jiraiya thought to himself.

"It would be an honor to learn from a seal master such as yourself," Naruto replied, bowing formally.

Jiraiya faltered. He had been referring to his position as the Toad Sage and passing on the rasengan to Minato's son; he hadn't really thought about the sealing arts at all. Still, he could work with that. Minato had proven to be highly skilled with seals, so it only seemed right that his son would follow in his footsteps in that regard as well.

"Indeed, though the apprenticeship wouldn't be restricted to that. I am also the holder of the Toad Contract and a Toad Sage, as well as possessing unique knowledge of certain techniques. You will be learning a great deal should you become my apprentice," Jiraiya said. He smiled to himself as he watched the grin on Naruto's face grow.

Naruto suddenly frowned. "What exactly would this apprenticeship entail? I don't want to leave my team, and the Chuunin Exams are coming up soon."

Jiraiya nodded, having expected an objection along those lines. He knew from Sensei that Naruto was fiercely loyal to Ino in particular and the other ninja kids to a lesser extent.

"I wouldn't worry about that; I have my own work that will keep me occupied quite often, so it won't be a full-time commitment on either side. I _will _expect to have priority while I'm in Konoha, however. The Hokage will be able to arrange your team's schedule so that there's a minimum of disruption anyway."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I would be honored to become your apprentice. When can we begin?"

Jiraiya grinned and pulled the large scroll he always carried around off his back. He untied the cloth that held it closed and rolled it open with a flourish. "Right now, in fact. I need a drop of your blood and your signature right here," he said, motioning to the blank space at the bottom of a list of names. Nearly all of the names appeared to have been written in black ink, but one shone bright blue – Jiraiya's.

"This is the Toad Contract, one of the most respected and sought after summoning contracts in all the Elemental Nations. The Toads will be your greatest allies throughout your life, so be sure to treat them accordingly when you summon them."

Naruto approached eagerly, but paused as he eyed the contract, apparently trying to puzzle out the writing at the top.

"Don't bother kid, no one's ever been able to read that. All you need to know about the contract is that you will be able to summon the Toads by using the summoning jutsu and that you won't be allowed to sign any other summoning contracts without the Toads' permission."

Naruto turned and gave him a very strange look, but nodded slowly. "I see," he said. He paused for a moment. "Do I need to sign in blood, or is a drop sufficient?"

"A drop's fine. Here, use this pen."

Naruto nodded and made a small cut on his finger. After pressing the bloody finger firmly onto the scroll, he quickly signed his name, writing "Naruto Yamanaka."

The name glowed blue for a moment before it, along with the blood, was burned off the scroll in a bright flash.

Naruto blinked rapidly, then turned to Jiraiya. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"No. That would be a definite no," Jiraiya replied, staring at the contract. "I think you have to sign your real name though. Try 'Uzumaki'."

Naruto tried that. Then "Naruto", "Uzumaki Naruto", "Yamanaka Naruto", "Naruto Uzumaki Yamanaka" and every other combination and ordering they could think of.

Jiraiya had a pretty good idea of what other name they should try, but _that _would definitely be going way past what the Hokage had agreed to. Time for another meeting.

* * *

**A/N:  
**

**I recently read a fic that covered Jiraiya's death in canon... damn, that was painful to read. There might have been a few manly tears of manliness shed at some point.**

**Jiraiya is a very interesting character, even in canon - he's possibly one of the most shallow characters in the series if taken at face value, with or without considering his skill. Even early on you get hints that there's a lot more going on under the surface though, and then you run across his death scene. Just... wow. There's a very good fic, "Reset" by Phlogizein which includes some PoV moments from Jiraiya's character back when Minato when still alive that I look to as a damn good example of how to write Jiraiya. This is obviously a very different fic, but I hope I can capture that juxtaposition between ridiculous behavior and shockingly deep introspection that Jiraiya is capable of. Of course, he's only one of many characters in this fic, so who knows if I'll have the chance as the story progresses.**

**Ah, and as for what exactly has spurred him on... you'll just have to wait.**

**Gaara's problems may be a little different in this fic, but as far as I can remember in canon the Sand Siblings' situation really was that bad, even if their interactions with the Kazekage were never shown. Think of it this way - the guy was replaced by _Orochimaru_, launched an invasion on Suna's sole ally with the aid of a new and unknown village, used his own son as a weapon of mass destruction... and no one doubted his identity for a second. I mean, _damn._**

**The training scene with Team Seven may strike some as strange due to the emphasis on taijutsu, but I see ninjutsu, especially offensive ninjutsu as difficult to use in close quarters for the most part. All the big flashy stuff we see in canon seems just as likely to hit your teammates as your enemy, so they just aren't that useful in some situations. They _will _show up, just not as the default option in a fight.**

**That said, if (like with the mid-range stuff) the scene just doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to improve / correct it._  
_**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review! I love the alerts and favorites, but reviews are awesome too!**


	21. Family Matters

-June 18th, 347 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

After dropping off Naruto, Jiraiya quickly began trying to convince the Hokage to allow him to reveal Naruto's parentage, at least to Naruto himself. So far the Hokage was holding firm in his refusal.

"Not until he's a chuunin, at least," Sarutobi said. "Once he knows he's going to have to assume a lot of responsibilities, and I'd prefer to hold off on that until he has a lot more experience under his belt. He can't claim any of his family's properties until then anyway, and we still haven't managed to undo that blood seal."

"He doesn't have to do any of that crap right away," Jiraiya countered. "I just need to let him sign the Toad Contract, and I can hardly have him try 'Namikaze' without tipping him off as to who his father is. The Chuunin Exams are coming up soon anyway, and even I can tell he's already more than qualified. It'll be, what, less than two months early?"

Sarutobi massaged his temples for a moment. Jiraiya needed to pass on the contract before he accepted the Toad's offer and Naruto was both the best candidate and the most appropriate for a variety of reasons. He hadn't expected these sorts of problems, although given that it was Naruto he shouldn't be surprised; nothing ever went exactly as planned where Naruto was concerned.

"How certain are you that his real name is the issue here?"

"What else could it be?"

"Have you tried asking the Toads directly?"

"Well... no."

"Why don't you do that then before we go any further?"

A quick summoning jutsu later and the Keeper of the Contract had joined them in the Hokage's office. This toad's sole duty was to maintain the true copy of the contract and oversee all ceremonies related to it – the scroll Jiraiya carried around was a copy that was linked to the true scroll kept in Myobokuzan.

"While the prospective summoner's true name is required in order to sign the contract, that is not the only problem in this case. The one known as Naruto Uzumaki is ineligible," the toad replied flatly.

"_What?" _cried Sarutobi and Jiraiya.

"The one known as Naruto Uzumaki is ineligible," the toad repeated.

"Why?" Jiraiya demanded.

"You are both aware of the true purpose of the contract, correct?" the toad asked, getting terse nods in reply. "Due to his... condition, we are unable to utilize Naruto Uzumaki's chakra in the necessary manner. It is quite likely that allowing him to sign the contract and perform the summoning jutsu will cause irreparable damage to the Toad Tribe," the toad explained.

"Because of the tailed beast's chakra?" Sarutobi asked curiously.

"... essentially correct," the toad replied after a long moment.

Jiraiya cursed. If Naruto would never be able to sign, then most of his plans for the apprenticeship were shot, not to mention that he now had to find another candidate to inherit the Toad Contract.

Sarutobi continued to probe the matter further, however. "Do you have any other objections to working with Naruto? For instance, if Jiraiya summoned one of you and asked you to assist Naruto in battle, would you be willing to do so?"

The toad eyed Sarutobi for a long moment before answering carefully. "As long as the request does not represent a danger to the toad's life or the Toad Tribe as a whole, we are bound by the terms of the contract to fulfill any request made of us. It is up to the individual toad's discretion should they choose to go above and beyond the terms of the contract, as Gamabunta-sama did in battling the Nine-tailed... beast."

Sarutobi frowned thoughtfully, noting that the Toad had not directly answered the question. "I see," he said, and turned back to Jiraiya. "I have no further questions at the moment. Do you, Jiraiya?" When Jiraiya replied in the negative, they thanked the toad for his time and allowed him to return to Myobokuzan.

"Though Naruto will not be able to sign the contract, I assume you will still be teaching him the Rasengan?" Sarutobi asked after a moment.

Jiraiya signed and nodded. "Yeah. He also seemed really excited to learn seals from me, though I hadn't really given that any thought until now."

Sarutobi chuckled. "Ah yes, I should have known. Naruto has devoured sealing knowledge even more quickly than he did medical training, and has submitted requests at least once a week for more advanced sealing instruction. He has already exhausted all the knowledge the other practitioners in Konoha possess, it seems."

"Oh? I hadn't paid that much attention to his progress... has he really gotten that far?"

"I'm no expert, but he already knows more than I do. He's been very conscientious about not experimenting above what is allowed, but he probably has a solid grasp on the theory of just about every seal Konoha knows B-Rank and below."

"That's pretty impressive. I'll have to test him myself, but that should serve as an excellent base for what I can teach him. That still leaves the problem of the Toad Contract, however."

"You may not be able to have Naruto himself sign, but have you considered one of his friends or teammates? All of them are quite promising, and their close association would still allow Naruto to interact with the Toads on a regular basis."

"... I'll think about it. Knowing you, you already have someone in mind though, don't you?"

Sarutobi just chuckled. "That I do, but I won't try to influence you. As a fellow contract holder I understand just how important that relationship is. It should be your decision, not mine."

* * *

-June 19th, 347 NE-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"Sorry brat, but looks like you won't be able to sign the contract after all, thanks to the beast stuck in your gut," Jiraiya said apologetically.

"I can't sign the contract because I'm a jinchuuriki?" Naruto asked quietly, sounding subdued.

"That's what they told me."

"That's... unfortunate. I was really looking forward to summoning the toads."

"Yeah, I'm rather bummed about it myself, but I still have plenty of other stuff I can teach you. I've gotten an update on your sealing knowledge and we'll figure out where we can start there, but first...," Jiraiya said, holding up his hand with the palm facings upwards. A ball of swirling blue chakra appeared in his hand. "This is one of the Fourth Hokage's personal techniques: the Rasengan, or Spiraling Sphere."

* * *

-June 27th, 347 NE-

-Sunagakure-

"… we're supposed to do _what?_" Temari shouted at their jounin sensei, Baki.

"Kazekage-sama was very clear. During the exams you are to kill any Konoha genin you can, preferably without allowing the matter to be traced back to you. Failing that, allow Gaara to make the kills."

"What the hell is he thinking? There is no way we could possibly get away with that! Has he not heard what they did to that guy from Kumo?"

Baki blanched – _everyone _had heard about what happened to Kaito Miyazaki. That incident may have strained relations between Konoha and Kumo, but it also bolstered Konoha's reputation as a village to be feared.

Still, he was a jounin of Suna and his Kage had given him orders. "It is not our place to question Kazekage-sama's plans. Our time would be better spent focusing on how to accomplish this task without getting caught. The requirements for the exam state that at least one test must pit the teams against each other in a battle royale of sorts, usually with both an offensive and defensive objective. Killing is still discouraged, but it does happen and is within the rules. Even if we did get caught, they would be unable to do anything officially."

"I'm sure that Kumo guy thought the same thing," Temari snapped bitterly.

Kankuro winced, but started off the discussion. "I have a variety of poisons I could employ. If I use the more generic types there's no way they could prove it was us. Some of them may have acquired resistance to those poisons, but certainly not all of them."

Baki nodded gratefully at Kankuro. "Good, good. That will help tremendously. What about you Tem-"

"I'll just crush them all," Gaara said blandly, not even bothering to turn his head away from the window to look at the group.

Baki looked like he wanted to object, but kept his mouth shut. He'd had a couple of close calls in the past and knew that whatever protection Gaara afforded his siblings did not extend to him. He turned a pleading eye to Temari.

Temari moved over to stand next to Gaara. Her hand lifted hesitantly as if to grasp his shoulder, but the sand around Gaara's feet twitched and she swiftly withdrew it.

"Gaara… you have to be very careful about who you kill and when. If the Konoha-nin catch you, they won't just let you go," Temari pleaded.

"Yeah, man," Kankuro added. "You'll have to wait until that battle royale thing starts."

"They won't be able to stop me," Gaara said dismissively.

"Gaara, please, listen to me. It won't be like it is here, they won't just let it drop. If you do kill the wrong person or kill someone at the wrong time, they'll try to arrest you or even kill you," Temari said.

Her brother finally turned away from the window to look at Temari. His eyes had widened slightly and he had a manic grin on his face. "Do you think they could?" he asked.

Temari actually felt her heart stop beating for a long moment. His voice was filled with energy and he sounded_ eager._ He was _excited_ at the thought that someone could kill him. She just shook her head in denial, unable to force any words past the lump that had formed in her throat. Kankuro and Baki both had stunned expressions on their faces.

Gaara's grin slowly faded as he misinterpreted Temari's reaction. "I guess not," he said quietly. He turned and began walking away.

Temari just watched him leave, still paralyzed by what she had just heard. She couldn't have heard that right. She refused to believe that.

* * *

-July 1st, 347 NE-

-Amegakure-

"You three are to take your genin teams to the exams in Konoha. They have earned the right to represent Ame for this exam, and I am sure they will do our village proud."

"Thank you, Commander."

"However, while you are there, you and your teams will have a secondary mission. In this bag you will find three stones. Distribute them to your teams and make sure they keep the stones with them at all times. As you move about the village, they are to note when and where they vibrate, and who is in the area at the time. When you return I will expect a comprehensive report on their findings."

"Understood, Commander. If I may ask, what will the stones be reacting to?"

"It is better if you do not know at this time. Rest assured that you will be no in no danger because of the stones or what they react to; simply consider this a somewhat unusual scouting mission."

"Very well, Commander."

"And make sure they do not let the stones out of their possession. They are quite difficult to make and I will be most… displeased if one is lost."

"Understood, Commander."

* * *

-July 12th, 347 NE-

-12:15 PM-

-Ichiraku's Ramen Stand-

Ino watched as Naruto continued to rapidly consume yet another bowl of ramen. Ever since the first time they had eaten here on the day of the team assignments, Naruto had insisted on coming back as often as possible. Fortunately, Hinata had helped her persuade Naruto to limit their visits to twice a week as a team, though Ino had the feeling that Naruto visited much more often on his own.

Ino had also noticed that the bar had a lot of new fixtures and that Teuchi seemed to have a permanent grin whenever Naruto was in sight.

"Say, Ichiraku-san," Ino called out to the stand owner. "You seem to be buying a lot of new equipment. I think everything in the stand has been replaced," Ino observed.

Teuchi just nodded eagerly. "Naruto-sama's patronage has proven to be a great boon to my business. Once word spread that he liked the food here, we have had more customers than we can handle. The Akimichi approached me about working in one of their restaurants, but with Naruto-sama's help I was able to convince them to loan me enough funds to open a full-sized restaurant."

"... seriously?" Ino asked, turning to look at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. He didn't even dignify her question with a response, instead slurping the broth out of the bowl loudly.

Teuchi nodded rapidly, his grin growing even wider. "The grand opening is next week. Ayame-chan is actually over there right now making sure everything is set up."

Ino just shook her head, deciding not to think about why Naruto would spend that much time and effort securing his source of ramen. She was about to ask for a refill on her water when Naruto's head whipped up and he dropped the bowl of ramen he had been eating.

"Naruto?" Ino asked, not liking the stunned expression on his face. Teuchi also appeared concerned, asking if something was wrong with the ramen, but Naruto just waved him off and darted out of the stand.

Ino gaped at him and stood to chase after him before realizing that they had yet to pay. She turned to look at Teuchi, reaching for her wallet, but he just waved her off with a concerned expression. "Don't worry about it," he told her, "I know Naruto-sama will return; just make sure he's alright."

Ino shouted her thanks behind her as she ran after Naruto. He seemed to be running full tilt towards the western gate.

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:20 PM-

-Konoha's Western Gate-

Temari shifted nervously as the gate guards reviewed their travel papers. The other teams from Suna had already arrived, none of them willing to travel together with her team or, more specifically, Gaara. She hated it, but was forced to admit they had probably been wise to do so. Gaara had started acting odd – well, odd for Gaara – as they approached Konoha. She was worried that he was going to start lashing out at anyone nearby and that he would end up killing someone before they even entered the city. The sooner they had secured their hotel room and she had a chance to talk to him the better.

She noticed a small disturbance beyond the gates but couldn't make it out at this distance. Her attention was diverted to Gaara who suddenly staggered and fell to his knees.

"It stopped," he said, his voice soft. He sat back on his heels and raised a trembling hand to his temple. "It stopped."

Temari gulped nervously as she noticed that everyone in the area was staring at Gaara. Time to run damage control, fast.

"Heh...," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "Gaara, I'm glad your _headache_ is gone, but there's no need to be so dramatic about it. Why don't we _go to our hotel _and you can relax, hmm?" She wanted to say something more, but she was interrupted.

A young teenager skidded to a halt near Gaara, his blue eyes – and Temari did a double-take, because his eyes had _slits _for pupils – focused solely on Gaara. The boy's hair was a bright blond and he wore loose black pants along with a tight black shirt that showed off his well-muscled frame. He had a few pouches strapped to his body and a Konoha headband tied around his forehead. He also had six lines across his face, some sort of tattoo or clan marking perhaps. An Inuzuka maybe? She had heard that they had animalistic qualities and tattoos on their cheeks.

Gaara raised his head to look at the newcomer and stumbled to his feet. He moved towards the boy and stretched out his hands, grabbing hold of the boy's shirt.

"It's you," he said, his voice slowly growing louder. "You made it stop. How? Tell me _how!_"

The boy's expression was odd, shifting between elation and confusion. "Made what stop?" he asked after a moment.

"The screaming! You made the screaming stop! Tell me- no!" Gaara suddenly shouted, his hands releasing the boy and clutching at his temples. "Nononononono! Stop! I don't understand!"

"The... scre**aming?**" the boy growled. Temari shuddered; it must have been her imagination but she would have sworn his voice changed, becoming far deeper and rumbling in a way that no human voice should ever be capable of.

Gaara didn't appear to hear the question. "Stop! What is Kuushou? I don't understand! Just stop!" Gaara threw his head back and let out a loud scream, filled with rage and frustration and grief and a dozen other emotions all at once. He then disappeared, sand slowly swirling and settling to the ground where he had stood a moment ago.

In the stunned silence that followed a girl ran up to them, panting lightly as she stopped next to the boy. "Naruto... what the hell is going on?" she asked.

The boy – Naruto, apparently – slowly turned to face the girl, his face frozen into an expressionless mask. "We need to talk," he said, and grabbed the girl before disappearing in his own shunshin.

Temari just stared in bewilderment before she felt a hand settle firmly on her shoulder. She looked up and paled as she saw the animal mask of one of Konoha's ANBU. Two more were standing next to Kankuro and Baki, and a fourth appeared to be talking to the gate guards.

"Please come with us," the ANBU said in that creepy distorted voice. She looked at Baki, but he just nodded, a resigned expression on his face.

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:30 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"What the _hell _is going on?" Ino said again as she recovered from the unexpected shunshin. The sudden acceleration was a little tough on her stomach when she wasn't braced for it, not to mention that Naruto's shunshin was faster and much more abrupt than her own. "Why was that guy yelling like that?"

"_That guy_ was the jinchuuriki for my brother, Ryuudo," Naruto said, his voice tense and his fists clenched. He was pacing around the clearing and Ino could see small tendrils of his youki curling off his body. Not good then, he was really, _really _pissed if he was losing control like that.

"That's the... One-Tail, right?" Ino said, recalling what Naruto had told her of his family.

"Yes," Naruto replied tersely.

"Well, that's good then, right? You've finally found one of them, so... why are you so angry?"

"Because his container said that I had stopped the **s****creaming**," Naruto growled.

"What screaming? I didn't hear any- oh. Fuck."

"Yes. _Fuck. _He didn't say yelling, or shouting, or cursing – he said _**screaming**_. Whatever that seal is doing to my brother he's in a lot of pain, and has been for the last **one**_** hundr**__**ed YEARS**_." He turned and lashed out at a nearby tree, a claw forming out of youki and smashing into it. Several more trees suffered the same fate before Naruto finally relented, standing in the middle of the clearing and panting.

Ino shuddered at that thought. She couldn't even imagine what it would take to make a Bijuu _feel _pain, much less enough pain to make them scream.

"Well, then we just have to fix it," Ino said firmly. Naruto turned to stare at her for a long moment before nodding slowly.

"Right. Yes, we can fix it. I don't know enough to work with seals of that level yet, though," he said quietly. His eyes widened and he smiled grimly. "But Jiraiya does."

He turned and looked as if he was about to charge out of the clearing that very moment, but Ino shouted at him before he could leave.

"Wait! You can't just go charging in like that. That whole scene with the jinchuuriki kid had to have set off all kinds of alarms, and if you go charging in on the Hokage or Jiraiya and demand that they 'fix' the seal it's not going to go well. Not to mention that you're still leaking youki."

Naruto glanced down; sure enough, small tendrils of red energy were still curling off of his body. Naruto growled but stayed in the clearing. "What would you suggest then?"

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:45 PM-

-Forest Outside of Konoha-

Two squads of ANBU were keeping watch on Gaara as he rampaged through the forests outside of Konoha, using sand he had acquired from somewhere – there was far more being flung about at the moment that he could possibly hold in that gourd on his back – to smash trees or rip them from the earth and throw them about. His ranting had devolved into incoherent screams and shouts.

Jiraiya soon arrived and calmly observed the swath of destruction Gaara had left in his wake. He had a sheet of paper and a brush in his hand, and he was slowly crafting a seal as he watched.

"Anything to report?" Jiraiya asked Bear.

"All he's been doing is ripping up trees and shouting. We haven't been able to make out anything of importance," the ANBU replied. After a moment of hesitation, Bear asked, "This is Suna's jinchuuriki, isn't it? I've heard reports about the sand usage from the Second and Third Wars."

"Looks like it," Jiraiya replied, focusing on a particularly tricky section of the seal he was crafting.

"Naruto could have turned out like that, couldn't he?"

Jiraiya's head snapped up and he looked at the ANBU for a long moment. "… possibly, yeah. If we had used a different seal, if we had treated him differently… yeah, he could have."

"Thank Kami for you and Yondaime-sama then," Bear said fervently. "So how are you going to stop him?"

"A combination chakra suppressing seal and sleep seal."

"Won't suppressing his chakra kill him? I saw the medical reports on Naruto…"

"A normal one could, maybe – hard to say how similar his condition is to Naruto's. But this ain't a normal chakra suppressing seal, not by a long-shot. Watch and learn, kiddo."

Jiraiya finished the seal with a flourish then put away the brush. He tucked the paper with the seal into his sleeve and observed Gaara's progress for a few moments. His hands formed two quick handsigns before he leaned backwards and fell off the branch he had been standing on. He fell headfirst with one hand stretched out.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!" he shouted, intentionally drawing Gaara's attention. His leading hand made contact with the ground and sank straight into it, the rest of his body following until he had completely submerged. From the point of impact the ground began turning a dark, murky brown. The technique's effect reached Gaara's position within moments and he stumbled to his knees with a splash as the ground beneath him suddenly turned into muck.

Gaara wanted to lash out, but the strange white-haired man had disappeared immediately after using this technique. His sand was also getting heavier, weighed down by the water he was in. He cast about for another target, but was suddenly hit from behind by a heavy stream of water that stripped the Sand Armor from his body and further weighed down his sand.

He whipped around as quickly as he could, pulling the small bits of sand that remained dry into a spear to attack with, but a sheet of paper suddenly blocked his vision. He felt a hand pressing against his forehead and a surge of chakra, then nothing.

Jiraiya smirked to himself as Gaara crumpled at his feet. A quick scan confirmed that the seal was working as intended and that his organs were still functioning properly.

"Damn I'm good," he said smugly. He picked up the jinchuuriki and threw him over his shoulder, then began tree-hopping back to Konoha.

* * *

-Same Day-

-3:00 PM-

-ANBU Prison-

Baki, Temari, and Kankuro were currently sitting on one side of a small table, shoved together uncomfortably in three chairs. An ANBU stood in each corner of the room, watching them with those expressionless masks – none of them had said a word since they entered the room. Temari knew it was an intimidation tactic, but she also knew it was working.

The three of them had been escorted "politely" to this room where they had waited for nearly an hour before a man with a heavily scarred face had entered the room. He had smiled "politely" and asked them "politely" what had happened to their teammate at the gates and what could have triggered such a response. Baki had handled all the questions so far, signaling his genin to keep their mouths shut; Kankuro and Temari had no trouble complying with that request. The Konoha ninja had so far not even laid a hand on them, but all of them couldn't help but think of Gaara's murderous tendencies and the mission the Kazekage had given them.

The scarred man had left after thirty minutes and the ninja from Suna had been left to wait – uncomfortable, hungry, and thirsty – with the ANBU still staring at them silently.

Temari shuddered slightly. It was definitely working.

The door opened again, and Temari felt the blood drain from her face as two men she recognized very, very well entered the room. The taller and younger of the pair had a large mane of white hair and very distinctive red lines starting under his eyes and running all the way down his face – Jiraiya of the Sannin. The older of the pair wore a simple white robe and matching hat with the symbol for "fire" written in large, bold strokes upon the hat – Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of Konoha and the "God of Shinobi."

She had heard that the Hokage liked to project a kind, grandfatherly image, but she saw no evidence of that here. His face was a grim stone mask, and he moved with purposeful strides as he swept into the room and stood across the table from them, his eyes sharp and piercing.

"Sakamoto-jounin, I would like to thank you for your cooperation in this matter," the Hokage began, his tone even. "Technically speaking, your team has not committed any crime and you could have easily demanded to be released immediately."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I understand how this situation must look and in light of Suna's alliance with Konoha I am willing to endure this small inconvenience for the sake of continued good relations," Baki replied smoothly. Baki was one of Suna's most experienced jounin, but ultimately he had been selected to lead the team which held all three of the Kazekage's children because of his political acumen and diplomatic cunning.

"Indeed," the Hokage said slowly, drawing out the word. "In light of our... alliance, I would ask that you explain something for me.

"When the Kazekage informed me that you and your team would be attending the exams, he also assured me that, despite any reports we might have heard to the contrary, Gaara had overcome the problems caused by his status as the jinchuuriki of the One-Tailed beast and was quite stable, almost docile," the Hokage said, his tone still even and calm.

Baki gulped quietly. They were finally getting to the heart of the matter.

"Why, then, did Gaara have what appears to have been, for all intents and purposes, a psychotic break before he even managed to step through the gates of my village?"

"I do not know, Hokage-sama. I have observed Gaara for many years now and have never known him to act in this manner. He seemed to fixate on that young genin, however. May I ask who that was? It is possible there is something unique to him that caused this reaction," Baki replied, doing his best to sound calm and reasonable. It was much harder when the Hokage's eyes narrowed even further when he asked about the young boy.

Instead of answering, the Hokage turned to look at Jiraiya. The Toad Sage stepped forward and began asking his own questions.

"Who designed the seal holding back the One-Tailed beast?" he asked.

Baki blinked, surprised at the question. He considered his reply carefully, but finally decided that there was no risk in answering.

"My understanding is that it is the same seal used since Suna first captured the One-Tailed beast. Chiyo-sama was and is Suna's best sealing expert and applied the seal herself."

Jiraiya sighed quietly. "Did anyone verify that the seal was applied properly? Did anyone actually examine the seal design?"

"Kazekage-sama himself examined and approved the seal," Baki said.

"Did he request any special changes be made to the seal?" Jiraiya pressed.

Baki slowly sat back in his chair, considering Jiraiya carefully. He knew Jiraiya was a seal master, one of the few in all of the Elemental Nations. Baki himself only knew enough about seals to craft the common storage seal and exploding tags, but he didn't feel comfortable answering anymore questions. Just because he didn't see the significance doesn't mean that Jiraiya couldn't pull something of value out of seemingly innocuous information. He had only said as much as he had because it was common knowledge as far as Suna was concerned.

"May I ask why you are so interested in the seal?" Baki finally asked.

Jiraiya shook his head in disgust. "Because whoever wrote that seal on Gaara is either grossly incompetent and damn lucky or wasn't particularly interested in the jinchuuriki's well-being."

"_What?_" Temari cried out, jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the table. She gulped and quickly sat back down when everyone in the room turned to focus on her.

Baki quickly spoke up, diverting the attention in the room back to himself. "Am I to understand that you have managed to locate Gaara and that he allowed you to examine his seal?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"'Allowed' is such a strong word. I just snuck a quick peek while he was napping," Jiraiya said offhandedly.

All three Suna ninja surged to their feet, shouting in outrage.

"What have you done to my brother?" Temari cried.

"If you hurt him I swear to Kami I'll-" started Kankuro.

"Hokage-sama I must protest this violation of-" Baki began.

"Shut up!" yelled Jiraiya, his voice ringing loudly within the confined space. "What the hell is wrong with you people? He's asleep, I haven't done anything to him," he explained.

"That's bullshit!" shouted Temari, more concerned about Gaara's safety than her own at this point. "If you killed him I'll, I'll-"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as he turned to focus on Temari. "Easy there little lady. Why is that 'bullshit'?"

Baki pushed Temari and Kankuro back into their seats and answered in their stead. "Gaara-sama can't be asleep. He has never once slept since he was sealed."

Both Jiraiya and the Hokage stared at Baki, and even the ANBU shifted slightly in their positions.

"Never," repeated Jiraiya slowly. "You're trying to tell me that little shrimp has been awake from the moment he had the tailed beast stuck in him?"

Baki just nodded solemnly. "As I'm sure you've heard, he complained of the 'screaming' during his... episode earlier. He says that he has heard that screaming nearly every moment of his life and it keeps him awake. No one has ever been able to get a calming or sleeping jutsu to stick on him either – whenever such a jutsu is applied his sand lashes out indiscriminately and he wakes within a matter of minutes anyway."

The Hokage glanced sharply at Jiraiya, but the seal master just waved him off. "Well he's getting a long overdue rest right now, then," he said.

Temari stared at him for a long moment, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "Really? He's really... asleep? He's ok?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Jiraiya grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "As if I would ever lie to a lady!"

Temari just sniffled, quickly wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice thick. "Thank you."

Jiraiya coughed uncomfortably and turned back to Baki. "Now that we've got that cleared up, back to what I was saying earlier. That's either the shittiest seal that still managed to function or the most malicious seal I've ever laid eyes on, and if you guys knew it was that bad for him and the Kazekage hasn't tried to have it changed or improved... I'm going with the latter."

Baki shifted uncomfortably but didn't answer the implied question. Instead he asked, "May I ask what about the seal would lead you to that conclusion?"

Jiraiya whipped out a sheet of paper and drew a circle, then divided the circle into four equal parts. "Let's say this is your standard seal," he said, motioning to the paper. The other people in the room, even the Hokage, turned to pay attention to him. Despite the circumstances a sealing master was about to hold forth on his area of expertise; this was a priceless opportunity for the ninja in the room.

Jiraiya smirked slightly as he caught the hand signals the ANBU sent each other, the two behind him complaining that they couldn't see the paper properly and demanding that the others prepare to reproduce the images later. He always loved working with an appreciative audience, and so made sure to turn the paper back and forth to allow everyone in the room a clear view.

He labeled each slice of the circle with a number, one through four. "Even the simplest of seals will have multiple parts, and they each have to be balanced against each other so that the overall seal works out properly. If this was a storage scroll, for instance, section two here would be a chakra vent that dumped excess chakra out as wasted energy, making sure that the array doesn't get overpowered. Should that happen...," he said, writing a large "X" across section two and channeling chakra into the paper. The paper began to smolder and then caught fire and was completely consumed in a matter of seconds.

"Poof."

Jiraiya pulled out another sheet of paper and drew another circle, once more dividing it into four parts. He then drew a series of smaller circles within the original one, the lines growing finer and finer until they were barely visible.

"Now we have a much, much more complicated seal, but the basic principles still apply. There's a lot more parts but it still has to balance. With Gaara's seal...," he trailed off, eying the paper critically for a moment. He laid the paper flat on the table and moved his brush rapidly, adding new lines or large blots of ink at random. Some of the lines actually went outside the circle or looped back into themselves. The original design was completely obliterated by the time he was done.

"First somebody fucked the whole thing up so bad there was no possible way to balance it cleanly," he continued, picking up the paper. He turned it this way and that, then pulled out a kunai and shredded the whole thing. He gathered up the pieces and began slapping them on the table. After a few seconds he had a roughly circular shape, but the lines didn't match up properly anywhere. He took his kunai and cut around the edge of the paper, trimming off bits here and there until the whole thing was perfectly circular again.

"Then, rather than starting fresh, they just smashed it all together until they got something that kinda sorta looked like it might work, if you were a blind idiot."

"But... it _does _contain the tailed beast, so surely it can't be that bad," Baki pointed out.

"You're right, which is why I have to go with malicious. It probably took even longer to get this pile of shit functioning than it would have to start with a brand new seal, but there's one particular 'benefit' to this approach that a clean seal wouldn't get you. Gaara has absolutely horrendous chakra control, doesn't he?"

All three of the Suna ninja looked ill and nodded silently.

"Thought so. His own chakra feeds into the seal just as much as the tailed beast's does, and the seal just smashes them together at random, filters the chakra, pulls it apart, compresses it, stretches it, and so on. I couldn't tell you exactly what the screaming was, but if the tailed beasts really are just pure chakra and had to go through that... it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was pure torture for the One-Tailed beast."

Baki swallowed thickly as he processed this new information. "How is that a benefit, though?"

The Hokage answered this one. "Come now, Sakamoto-jounin. I know you can't be that naive. Suna has always used their jinchuuriki as a weapon, but they have also always mistreated them and given the jinchuuriki no reason to love Suna or to feel loyal to it. As such it would behoove the village to make sure their weapon requires their support in battle if he is to be effective, and thus limit the techniques he can use to only those granted by his status as a jinchuuriki."

"Can you help him?" Temari asked in a quiet voice. Once again all eyes in the room turned towards her, but her gaze remained focused on Jiraiya.

"Maybe," he replied, his voice low, "but interfering with an active shinobi to that extent would definitely violate the terms of our alliance with Suna."

"Fuck Suna," Temari snapped.

Baki's head whipped around to look at her, but she faced his gaze with a fierce expression. "Everyone in Suna hates Gaara, and by extension us. Even you have had a lot of trouble ever since you became our teacher. And now we find out that the Kazekage did this to Gaara _on purpose?_ Fuck him," Temari snarled.

The Hokage watched their interaction with interest, but added his own opinion to the conversation. "As strongly as you feel about the matter, Suna is our ally and that would still be a betrayal."

Kankuro cleared his throat loudly. "About that...," he said quietly. He looked at Baki and Temari with a raised eyebrow. Temari understood what he was asking quickly and nodded in reply. Baki stared at Kankuro for a long moment, then leaned back in his chair with a pensive expression on his face.

If he went through with this there would be no going back. That in mind, he considered the most likely outcome if he stopped Kankuro and Temari at this point.

First, there was Gaara to consider. There was no predicting what he would do or say, especially if Konoha offered to fix his seal in exchange for information or his loyalty. Regardless of what the Hokage claimed, Baki was certain that Konoha would be more than willing to betray Suna or at least bend the terms of the alliance if there was something of sufficient value at stake. Konoha was the strongest of the Five Great Villages, and Suna the weakest – Suna actually brought very little to the alliance, merely serving as a deterrent should Iwa seek to start another war.

Then there was the likelihood that Kankuro and Temari would disobey him for Gaara's sake and inform Konoha of the nature of their mission anyway. His time as their jounin instructor had made it very clear that their loyalty was to each other far more than to their father or the village, and he couldn't really blame them for feeling that way. He wondered if the Kazekage realized just how badly he had alienated his own children, and if he would even care if he did.

Regardless, if they informed Konoha against his orders, he would be done for. Konoha would pull a Miyazaki on him or send him back to Suna to face the Kazekage's wrath for failing the mission so thoroughly and managing to lose all three of his children to Konoha – he wasn't entirely certain which he would prefer.

If he did go along with this and tell Konoha, what would be their likely reaction? Mistrust, obviously; this could just as easily be a plot to plant spies within Konoha or to discredit them in the international arena by making them betray the terms of the alliance. Baki had no doubt that the Kazekage would deny all knowledge of issuing such a mission, especially since it had all been handled as a black op; there was no record anywhere that could possibly provide evidence for this.

Still, Konoha had the Yamanaka clan who could supposedly read minds and he could provide evidence that way... which would also reveal that he had intended to go along with it. That could go either way – ninja were expected to follow orders even if they didn't personally agree with them, but he had also plotted to kill several genin from prominent clans within Konoha. Miyazaki's fate had made it very clear how Konoha would respond to such a threat, though the fact that he had no intention of acting personally might protect him there.

He was a loyal Suna ninja though, had been for over thirty years. He had started a family there, though his wife had died several years ago and his only son fallen in the line of duty a year before that. He had sacrificed much for his home and didn't intend to betray it now, even if the Kazekage seemed bound and determined to provoke Konoha into attacking them.

He frowned as he thought about that, as he had many times since he first received his orders. Why _would _the Kazekage order them to attack their ally like this? Suna desperately needed more missions after the Wind Daimyo cut their funding and began using his personal samurai forces to handle the missions traditionally reserved for ninja, but weakening their only ally in such a manner seemed a very poor way to attract attention. And if, Kami forbid, Konoha decided to go to war over this incident... Suna would be crushed completely and utterly.

Perhaps there was a way to help his charges _and _Sunagakure at the same time. He couldn't personally think of a way to turn the situation in that direction, but if he could convince the Hokage of his sincerity, perhaps he wouldn't have to think it through on his own. It seemed the only path that allowed him to survive the day intact and preserve his loyalty to Suna at the same time.

He sighed, and finally looked up. "Before we continue, I would like a guarantee of asylum for myself and my charges, and a solemn vow from Jiraiya that he will do everything in his power to help Gaara. If you can do that, you will have my full cooperation."

"And mine," echoed Kankuro and Temari.

As the Hokage's eyes narrowed suspiciously, Baki closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer to whatever deity cared to listen. He was committed to his course now. He just hoped he had made the right choice.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm... not a whole lot to say on this one.**

**The Chuunin Exams _finally _start next chapter, which will get most of the way through the first exam. I've decided to mix things up (somewhat) and use a different set of tests for the First and Second phases. The Third Phase will remain in the tournament format, though that will also have changed from canon. I've just read the "quiz" test and the "gather scrolls" test too many times to want to actually _write _the damn things.  
**

**The plot will begin to diverge from canon even more at this point, since certain key events from canon just aren't going to happen here. Hopefully I've given you enough hints that you can predict at least some of what won't be happening.**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	22. Family Matters, Part II

-July 12th, 347 NE-

-6:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"The Hokage will see you now, Naruto-kun," Mitsuko said, smiling at him.

"Thanks, Mitsuko-san," Kuushou replied before he stepped into the office. He saw the Hokage was busy working through a surprisingly large pile of paperwork and seemed relieved at the interruption.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, it's good to see you again. I was actually hoping to talk to you soon; I understand that you were involved in that bit of drama at the gate earlier today."

"I was, Hokage-jii-san, and I wanted to talk to you about that as well."

"Hmm... well, why don't you go first then? We can get to my questions later."

"Well... who was that kid? I sensed something really... strange while I was eating lunch and rushed over to see what it was, and that kid was the source. I think he sensed something too since he claimed that I had done something."

The Hokage sighed. "That was a Suna genin who had a very... troubled past."

"... that doesn't explain what was so different about him. I've never felt anything like that before."

"Normally this would be considered a secret, but given the nature of it I will tell you. I ask only that you don't spread it around too much," the Hokage said quietly. When he received a nod in reply he continued, "That boy was Gaara of the Desert, the jinchuuriki of the One-Tailed beast."

Kuushou forced his face to pale, remembering the plan he and Ino had come up with. The Hokage had already given him a better lead-in that he had expected to have. "When you say 'troubled past'..."

The Hokage grimaced. "Suna is not as... understanding about his condition as Konoha has been about yours. There also seem to be some psychological effects from the seal as well which have complicated the matter."

Kuushou frowned. "You mean they hate him and drove him insane," he said, his voice harsh.

Another sigh, this one tired. "That does seem to be the case."

"That could have been me, couldn't it?" Kuushou said, making his voice soft, almost fearful.

"No! Even if Konoha were so stupid as to blame you for the actions of what you contain, I would never have allowed something like that to happen," the Hokage replied immediately, his voice firm.

Kuushou allowed his expression to relax, looking at the Hokage gratefully. It was all too easy to manipulate the Hokage like this; it didn't work for more mundane matters, but whenever the topics of his "burden" or his "family" came up the Hokage would quickly fold, seeming almost desperate to appease him. He made sure not to abuse that fact too often, but it had proven very useful over the years.

"Can we help him?" Kuushou asked. "Surely there's something we can do to protect him."

"It's interesting that you should ask that," the Hokage said, smiling slightly. "His teammates and jounin sensei have actually approached Jiraiya with a request to fix Gaara's seal. As Jiraiya's apprentice you would be able to learn a great deal from the process. In addition, there is a possibility that your presence might have a calming effect on Gaara that could help things go smoothly; that said, the opposite could also be true. Since you want to help him, however, I'm sure you'd be willing to give it a try."

"Absolutely, Hokage-jii-san," Kuushou said, smiling widely.

* * *

-July 13th, 347 NE-

-11:00 PM-

-The Tower Within The Forest Of Death-

"Alright kiddo, time to see how much good you'll do. I want you to inject a small amount, _small _amount, of chakra into Gaara. If my theory is right the tailed beast's chakra in you will react with the chakra in Gaara and slow everything down, which will make replacing his seal that much easier. If not, we'll have to do it the hard way."

Kuushou nodded solemnly and approached Gaara. He had been forced to wait over a day while Jiraiya designed the replacement seal and planned out his approach to this process. Jiraiya had determined early on that Gaara's old seal would have to go entirely, which meant adding a temporary seal to act as a bridge between the old seal and the new one. If Jiraiya's theory was correct, however, the complexity of the bridge would be greatly reduced and the entire process sped up considerably. The seal would be keyed to the "One-Tailed beast's chakra" and only pull that in, leaving any other chakra present in Gaara's body undisturbed.

He had initially hoped that Jiraiya would be using the Death God's seal or some variant thereof, but it seemed that Jiraiya was instead using one of his own design that he had been working on for years, although there were some similarities from what he could see.

Gaara himself had been kept unconscious since Jiraiya first brought him in. Given that the kid had apparently never slept a moment in his entire life, Jiraiya and the Hokage had judged it a kindness to allow him to sleep now, and his team had agreed. They all hoped that the next time Gaara awoke he would never have to deal with the "screaming" again.

Jiraiya, Kuushou, and Gaara were the only ones in the room at the moment. Jiraiya had insisted that the fewer chakra presences in the room the better for this – even Kuushou would be ejected for the actual sealing if his presence did not calm Gaara's chakra.

Jiraiya had already completed as much of the seal as he could, the writing covering most of Gaara's exposed skin and extending beyond his body onto sheets of sealing paper. The only portions missing were dealing with the transfer of the tailed beast from one seal to another, and Jiraiya needed to see how Gaara's chakra would react before he filled in that section.

Kuushou laid a hand on Gaara's shoulder and extended his chakra-youki mix into Gaara's chakra network, rapidly moving towards the seal. He could feel small bits of his brother's youki mixed in with Gaara's own chakra, but they were disjointed and didn't contain any part of Ryuudo's consciousness. They were just remnants of expended energy, not active components of Ryuudo's being. It looked like the seal supplied Gaara with power that way – it would certainly be effective in limiting Ryuudo's influence.

He finally reached the seal and enter- _**PAIN**_.

He flung himself backwards with a scream of agony, hitting the wall behind him with a loud crack. He curled into a ball and shuddered for several seconds, the mere echo of what he had felt causing his body to react involuntarily. He felt Jiraiya shaking him and saying something, but the words didn't penetrate at first.

"-to! Come on kid, talk to me!"

"I'm alright," he finally managed to say, his voice hoarse. He channeled youki into his throat, quickly healing the torn muscles before he repeated his words, his voice clear. "I'm alright."

"Like hell you are. I've heard people scream like that before, and 'alright' is the last word I would use to describe what made them do it. What the hell _was _that?"

"I finally got to the seal and started to enter it."

"The _seal_ did that to you?" Jiraiya asked, shock evident in his tone.

"Yeah. And he has had to endure that every minute of every day since he was sealed," Kuushou said angrily.

"I don't think he feels it directly, else he would have died long ago," Jiraiya replied, turning to look at Gaara. "Still, even an echo of something like that would be pretty nasty."

Kuushou pushed himself to his feet and started to move back to Gaara, but Jiraiya grabbed his shoulder. "Whoa, where do you think you're going?"

"To try again," Kuushou said simply.

"Say what now?"

"Every minute we delay is another minute he has to endure that, even if it's just an echo," Kuushou replied. He knew Jiraiya thought he was talking about Gaara, and he wasn't about to correct his mistaken assumption. He also wasn't about to let his brother endure something like that a single moment longer than necessary.

Jiraiya stared into Naruto's face for several seconds, his eyes searching. He saw anger and a bit of pain, but overriding it all was grim determination. He nodded slowly, a small, proud smile on his face.

"Alright kid, if you're sure, give it another shot. If that happens again though I'm cutting this little project short. Torturing yourself isn't going to help him any."

Kuushou knelt beside Gaara again, once more laying his hand on his shoulder. He moved through the chakra network quickly, but paused outside the seal. If he just charged in again the same thing would happen. He needed something to block the pain, or something to act as a buffer of sorts. Something like... a layer of chakra. He started pulling deeply on the body's pure chakra reserves, constructing a thick shell around his youki.

He cautiously extended the tiniest bit of shielded youki into the seal. He could feel the shell eroding as the seal interacted with the chakra and a small bit of pain leaked through, but it was nothing like the sheer agony he had experienced earlier. He paused, trying to estimate how much chakra it would take to maintain that shield and how long he could hold it. After a few seconds he grinned – he had more than enough chakra for this.

He took a steadying breath, made his body nod firmly at Jiraiya, then plunged into the seal.

* * *

Jiraiya watched as Naruto's hand, then his entire body, began to radiate chakra. He knew the kid had a lot of chakra, but this was just ridiculous; and that was just the _wasted _chakra given off as visible emissions.

He tensed when he saw Naruto grimace, but Minato's son grinned shortly thereafter then turned and nodded to Jiraiya. The kid must be doing something differently, because he certainly wasn't screaming in agony this time.

Jiraiya waited a few seconds to see if anything changed, but Naruto seemed entirely focused on whatever he was doing inside the seal.

Jiraiya ran some quick checks on the activity within the seal. He grinned at the results he saw; he loved it when he was right. The overall movement within the seal had slowed dramatically, and the volatility of the chakra reactions had halved, at least, and looked to be dropping further.

Time to get to work.

* * *

Kuushou found himself in the middle of an endless desert, the sun shining directly overhead and beating down relentlessly. He was surprised that he actually felt the heat; his current form was composed of nearly pure youki and did not normally experience such sensations. From his own experience with sealing he assumed he was in this seal's version of the white room, but it was clearly very different – normally he would be able to feel sensations outside the seal as clearly as he could inside. He could only vaguely feel the chakra shell slowly eroding, the sensation very distant and muted.

He stretched out his senses, trying to find Ryuudo in this endless expanse of sand. He felt something very quickly, two somethings in fact, and they were quite close. With a small exertion of will he found himself next to a pulsating mass of youki... and Gaara.

Kuushou could sense that Ryuudo was slowly pulling himself together and decided it would be best to let him recover uninterrupted for the moment. He turned his attention to Gaara in the meantime.

Gaara turned to look at him, his dull, lifeless eyes taking in his vibrant red form and its fox-like appearance with little reaction.

"Are you stuck in here too?" Gaara asked, his voice just barely tinged with curiosity. "It's not so bad, now that the screaming has stopped."

Kuushou considered the boy silently. He hadn't actually given much thought about what to do with the jinchuuriki – his thoughts had focused on helping Ryuudo, on the clear and attainable goal of improving his seal.

Could he kill Gaara? Allow Ryuudo to take over the body as he had taken over his own vessel? It was possible, certainly; he could stretch out his youki and destroy Gaara easily, though he was unsure that doing so would kill his soul or his mind. There would be no way for Ryuudo to possibly pretend to be Gaara, though, and it was doubtful that Ryuudo could even deflect suspicion skillfully enough to avoid immediate discovery should they be willing to accept his amnesia and radical personality shift.

No, killing Gaara wouldn't help matters much, if at all. It seemed he would have to take the diplomatic approach. Again.

He compressed his youki and mentally performed a henge, adopting the appearance of his vessel. Gaara's eyes widened in recognition. "You! You're the one who made the screaming stop! Did you do it again?"

"Yes," Kuushou replied, moving over to sit next to Gaara, "I made it stop again, and soon I'll be able to make it stop forever."

Gaara slowly began to smile as he considered that thought. "No more screaming...,"

"To make it stop forever, though, I'm going to need your help."

"Anything." Gaara replied immediately.

"Good, good. Tell me, do you know what a jinchuuriki is?"

Gaara smile slipped and he nodded dully. "Yes. An 'abomination that doesn't deserve to live'," he quoted.

"... uh, no. Jinchuuriki is a general term applied to a human being with a 'tailed beast' sealed inside of them. For instance, you have the One-Tailed 'beast' sealed inside of you."

"So I have been told," Gaara replied.

Kuushou stared at him for a few seconds before he pointed at the mass of youki Gaara had been staring at earlier. Gaara blinked slowly before his eyes widened in understanding.

"Surprising. In the stories it was hundreds of feet tall and made entirely of sand."

"He _can _look like that, I'm sure, but this is the true form of a 'tailed beast'."

Gaara nodded slowly before his eyes narrowed. "How do you know that? Are you a jinchuuriki too? Is that why you can make the screaming stop?"

* * *

Jiraiya paused to examine his work, absentmindedly wiping the sweat off his face.

The new seal design he was using for Gaara was the most complex he had ever written. He had actually based the design off of the Death God's seal, removing the sections which contained the unknown markings and replacing them with arrays of his own design. It probably wouldn't function nearly as well as Naruto's seal without those sections and the Death God's intervention, but it would certainly be a hell of a lot more effective and stable than Gaara's current seal.

Given the complexity of the design, making sure the beast's chakra entered the seal properly and that his bridge would only allow the chakra to flow one way despite the many connections between the two seals was quite difficult. It would have been much, much worse without Naruto's help, however.

He checked on Naruto, but the kid still hadn't moved. He looked like he was in some sort of trance, but his chakra was still going strong and he hadn't so much as twitched since he began writing the bridge.

Jiraiya turned back to his work, making sure that the sections he had already completed were written properly before he moved on.

* * *

Kuushou considered his response carefully before he answered, "Yes. I too have a 'tailed beast' sealed inside of me," he said. The truth, if he ever told Gaara at all, would have to wait for another time; he needed to see how the new seal behaved and talk with Ryuudo before he made any moves in that direction.

Gaara nodded slowly. "I knew there were others, but I never thought I would meet one, except perhaps in combat." His eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem... normal."

Kuushou laughed sharply, the sound echoing throughout the desert. "I am anything but normal, I assure you. However, I have not had to deal with the... problems you have had thanks to the nature of my seal." He laughed again.

"Which is why I'm here to talk to you now," he continued without giving Gaara a chance to respond. "As we speak, a seal master – the Sage Jiraiya – is crafting a new seal for you. Once it is complete you will never have to deal with the screaming again."

Gaara's face twisted into a smile and his eyes brightening before his expression suddenly turned wary. "Why are you doing this?"

"Two reasons: because your team asked, and because I asked."

Gaara's eyes widened again, his expression slipping into disbelief. "They would do that? You would do that?"

"Of course I would," Kuushou said, speaking to more than just Gaara, "in every way that matters you are my brother. I'm sure your team feels the same."

Kuushou's smile widened as he saw the ball of youki that comprised Ryuudo's form beginning to calm. He wandered over to stand next to the ball, appearing merely to examine it curiously. He let his attention drift to his body for a moment and noted that Jiraiya was finishing up the bridge between the seals; the transfer would start soon.

Knowing that Gaara was watching his every movement, he slowly and deliberately raised his hand before plunging it into the ball of youki. Underneath the surface he pulled a portion of Ryuudo's youki into himself and allowed a portion of his own to dissolve into the mass – in this manner he could gather Ryuudo's memories and leave some of his own behind to help guide his brother in the days ahead.

He closed his eyes, forcing back tears as a blissful feeling swept over him. Ino's description was very apt, as it did indeed feel like his very soul was singing. He could feel Ryuudo's response even as they assimilated each other's memories.

Tears began leaking from Kuushou's eyes for a very different reason as he vicariously experienced the last hundred years of Ryuudo's life – it was mostly nothing but pain, endless, all-consuming pain. There were brief moments of peace – he had broken out of his seal quickly the first time, laying waste to everything around him as he struggled to reach the nearest portal back to Makai. He hadn't made it. The second moment of peace came soon after, and then the pain started.

Kuushou growled in disgust and anger as he reviewed the time-line in his head.

Ryuudo had been sealed in a ceremonial urn the first time, a human adult the second. The histories he had seen had not mentioned this third sealing, but with his new knowledge it was obvious what had happened. The ninja had noticed that the adult would not last long and chosen a new vessel along with a new seal. It wasn't even an act of desperation – they had plenty of time to create a proper seal. They had intentionally designed the seal to disrupt Ryuudo's youki as much as possible.

He stifled his budding rage and focused his attention back on Ryuudo. He couldn't undo the century of torture, much as he might want to, but he could make it easier to deal with – it seemed his studies in sealing would finally prove useful.

He injected more youki into Ryuudo's form, sweeping through his brother's form and pulling certain bits of youki into a ball. Those bits represented Ryuudo's memories of the last hundred years, and the pain and misery he had endured. He wished that he could remove them altogether, but that would likely prove impossible even for him. For good or ill, they were a part of Ryuudo.

Once he had them gathered up, he imagined a locking seal surrounding the ball and with a mental effort hardened it. Ryuudo's youki swept over it for a long moment, but the seal gave off a strong sense of warning and foreboding and the youki left it alone, for the moment. The seal would fail eventually, but Ryuudo would be able to deal with the memories in his own time.

Regretfully, Kuushou pulled away from the mass of youki and turned back to Gaara. The Suna genin was starting at him with a curious expression.

"The new seal will activate soon," Kuushou said, heading off Gaara's questions. "I'm not entirely certain what will happen to you, but this... chakra will probably leave here in some fashion. Don't fight it when that happens. Once everything is taken care of and you are free to move about, come find me again. There's a lot we need to talk about."

Kuushou watched from his body as Jiraiya activated the seal and Ryuudo's youki streamed into the sky until it vanished beyond sight. Kuushou made sure to use his human chakra as a buffer for as long as Ryuudo was in the current seal, sparing him as much pain as possible.

He turned to Gaara before leaving the seal himself. "Oh, and one last thing... keep an open mind. You aren't the only one who has suffered." With that cryptic message, he left.

* * *

Jiraiya grinned to himself as he watched the activity in the old seal stop completely. That had gone even more smoothly that he had dared hope, no doubt thanks to his newest student. The kid was finally coming out of his trance, looking a little winded but none the worse for wear; that was an absolutely ridiculous amount of chakra he had.

He dissolved the bridge and checked the new seal, making sure everything was working as it should. The beast's chakra was flowing smoothly and slowly leaking out into the boy's chakra network, similar to how Naruto's seal worked. He'd have to recalibrate the rate of absorption once he had a good baseline for Gaara's tolerance for the stuff, but the relatively low rate he'd started off with seemed to be causing no problems. That would be Tsu- er, Shizune-chan's department, though.

He turned his attention to the old seal and took great relish in dissolving the disgusting thing. He didn't care much one way or the other if the beast suffered, but the poor design and sloppy implementation of the seal was an affront to his sensibilities as a seal master. The new seal, now _there _was a work of art.

He chuckled to himself as he pondered if there was anyone else in the entire world who could have accomplished what he and Minato's kid just did. Almost certainly not, and definitely not as quickly and as smoothly as they had.

Damn, he was good.

* * *

Ryuudo shuddered into consciousness slowly, his youki moving in fits and starts as he once again became accustomed to a world without pain. The memories were distant – he could feel where Kuushou had sealed them away and left that mess alone – but the aftereffects still lingered.

He took in his surroundings, truly cognizant of his location and situation for the first time in a _very _long time. He was in a desert, not dissimilar to where he had just been if Kuushou's memories were any guide. The heat wasn't nearly as oppressive, though, and he was currently alone.

Most importantly, there was no pain.

He could feel his youki flowing into his container – '_Gaara, genin, human, jinchuuriki,'_ Kuushou's memories told him – and roughly sensed Gaara's state as he did so. It wasn't as clear as Kuushou's memories indicated it should be, but then their situations were still very different.

He considered attempting to overwhelm the seal again, but his own experience with the prior seals and the knowledge that _this _seal was much, much stronger stopped that plan in its tracks. Instead, he settled down and began to thoroughly review everything Kuushou had left him.

Time to see what plans his brother had in store.

* * *

-July 15th, 347 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Outside The Konoha Academy-

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru muttered quietly, eying the large number of chuunin hopefuls scattered around the grounds of the Academy. "Just how many people are going to show up for this thing, anyway?"

There were already over sixty teams gathered, representing four of the Five Great Ninja Villages and a smattering of teams from the lesser villages such as Taki and Kusa. As far as Shikamaru could tell every village he'd ever heard of except for Iwa had at least one team present, and Iwa's lack of participation was to be expected – even should they attempt to send a team it was unlikely the Hokage would allow them in the village.

Kiba grinned eagerly. "They can send as many as they like, we all know who's going to win!" he said confidently. Akamaru barked in agreement from his perch atop Kiba's head.

Chouji shook his head. "We can't say that for sure," he replied. Despite his words, he didn't appear particularly worried either, though he kept an appraising eye on the other teams.

Ino just laughed softly. "No, we're sure," she replied, jerking her thumb in Naruto's direction. She ignored Kiba's indignant reply as she turned to Sakura. "So what have you guys been up to? You missed the last four group training sessions, that's not like you."

Sakura smiled mysteriously, sharing a knowing glance with Sasuke and Shino before she turned back to Ino. "Oh, nothing much," she answered, her tone smug.

Ino grinned. "Oh?" she said eagerly. "You sure aren't acting like it's nothing. This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain bet, would it?"

Sakura's smile grew wider, but she didn't reply.

Naruto and Hinata were nearby, chatting with Team Gai. "Yosh! Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan! I look forward to testing my flames of youth against you in the coming Exams!" Lee shouted. They both just nodded politely, knowing better than to do anything to encourage Lee verbally.

Tenten just shook her head sadly. "He used to be such a nice, quiet boy," she said mournfully, only partially in jest. "He's right about one thing though; it'll be good to go against you guys and see where we stand. We've had to miss most of the training sessions thanks to our C-rank missions, but we've picked up a lot of real world experience to compensate. Don't think things will go so easily for you," she said, smirking.

Neji nodded in agreement. "Gai-sensei's training is also not to be underestimated," he said simply. He and Tenten repressed a small shudder even as Lee began to shout loudly about how amazing their sensei was.

Right at ten o'clock several plumes of smoke erupted on top of the Academy. Most of the ninja gathered around the Academy immediately tensed and assumed defensive positions.

"Alright you maggots, listen up!" a loud, gravelly voice shouted. The smoke drifted away revealing a large number of Konoha chuunin and jounin lining the roof of the Academy, Ibiki Morino standing front and center.

"First off, you, you, you, you, and you!" he called out, pointing at five different genin. "You fail. Get your teams and leave."

"What!" came several angry cries from the genin or their teammates. Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly and he gave a muttered "troublesome" as he started whispering quietly to his team. Several other genin appeared to be having similar epiphanies and conversations.

"I said you fail," Ibiki said flatly. "You are in the middle of foreign territory surrounded by unknown ninja and you failed to react both to our arrival and to your fellow genin reaching for weapons and assuming stances. You might as well have just slit your own throat for all the good you'd do on a real mission."

"That's bullsh-" one of the failed genin started to shout, but found his words dying in his throat as a wave of killing intent swept over him.

"Leave," Ibiki said again, his voice soft. "I will not tell you again."

Ibiki's threat finally seemed to penetrate as the failed teams turned and left, muttering angrily as they went.

"Now that the trash is gone, we can get this little party started.

"First rule: from this moment forward until you leave the testing area and hand over proof that you passed the exam, consider yourself in the first phase of the Chuunin Exams. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you _think_ will be evaluated and used to determine if you _possibly _might have what it takes to become a chuunin."

Shikamaru cursed quietly as he whispered to his teammates again. The rest of the 'Clan Kids' picked up on the reason for his annoyance – or were clued in by their teammates – very quickly and had their own whispered conversations, as did several other groups.

"Second rule," Ibiki continued, "if one of the proctors you see before you tells you you have failed, you are to leave the testing area immediately; no arguing, no excuses. If you do not, you will be... dealt with." Ibiki grinned toothily and several of the other proctors looked eager.

"Third rule: if you leave the testing area without proof that you have passed, you are considered to have forfeited and will not advance to the second phase of the Chuunin Exams.

"Fourth rule: if you kill another genin or attack a proctor, you will fail immediately.

"Fifth rule: you have three hours after the start of the first phase to acquire proof that you have passed. If you do not to do so within the allotted time, you fail.

"Sixth rule: those who finish the first phase of the exam more quickly will have an advantage in the second phase, though I will not reveal the nature of that advantage at this time.

"Seventh rule: the proof that you have passed must be presented to me personally.

"Eighth rule: your entire team passes or fails the first phase of the exam; there is no individual advancement. If a single member of a team fails then the whole team fails.

"I hope you've been listening, because the rules will not be repeated. Now, as for the nature of the exam itself. Each team will be given a number which will serve as your designation throughout the rest of the Chuunin Exam. You will also receive a piece of paper with a coded message. The message contains vital information required to pass the first phase. The purpose of this exam is to gather a physical object and a piece of information. Once you have both you must approach a proctor who will verify the authenticity of the object and the information and issue a password. This password will serve as proof that you have passed the first part of the exam."

Ibiki paused and surveyed the assembled genin. He smirked when he noticed a few teams sweating nervously, and his smirk grew when he saw a few other teams fidgeting impatiently.

"Alright, select one representative from your team to line up in front of the doors. Everyone else move to the side."

The genin milled about as they followed Ibiki's instructions, a few of them pushing and shoving as they struggled to reach the front of the line. Naruto, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Tenten were selected to represent their teams and all headed for the back of the line.

After thirty minutes each team had a number and a code.

"Alright maggots, we will now depart for the testing area."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"Through that gate lies Training Ground Five. The testing area consists of training grounds One through Ten. Each training ground is surrounded by a fence and another, higher fence surrounds the whole area, so no excuses about not knowing the limits of the testing area. The proctors are already scattered through the training grounds, and I will remain right here.

"If any of you maggots need extra help, I will be providing additional information in one hour. Whether it will help you or not remains to be seen, so weigh your options carefully." Ibiki said. He then moved over to a table and chair that had been set up earlier and started flipping through the scrolls laid out on the table, seemingly ignoring the gathered genin.

Several teams took off immediately into the training grounds, while others hunkered down to wait for the additional information.

Team Seven, along with the other rookie teams, consulted briefly before exchanging nods. Naruto pulled out a scroll and a large cloud of smoke covered the group, drawing attention to them. As the smoke cleared the genin who remained in the field could see food and water being passed around as the group settled in and began to chat amongst themselves.

A few teams who had been wavering in their decisions decided to follow the Konoha teams' lead, assuming that they had inside information that told them it would be better to wait.

Ibiki smirked to himself.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:15 AM-

-Training Ground Three-

"Have you got the code yet, Ino?" Naruto asked.

"Please, it's a shift cipher. I had this done before we left the Academy. The code has two parts: the first is 'a shinobi must prepare before it is too late'; and the second is 'three rivers meet four trees to yield one path'."

Hinata nodded slowly, her byakugan activated as she scanned around the area. "There is a small stream nearby that heads in the direction of Training Ground Four. I think we should start there."

"Sounds good," Naruto said. "I'd say that the shinobi saying is the information we need, and that the second part will lead us to the object."

Ino grinned. "You'd think they could make this a little harder for us."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:20 AM-

-Training Ground One-

"You have failed the exam. Leave immediately," a proctor told a Kiri team.

The Kiri genin all tensed, and one of them snapped "On what grounds?"

"Because I said so, genin. You are to leave the training grounds immediately, or you will be dealt with." The Kiri team tensed, but slowly turned and began walking away. This only provided cover as they flashed through handsigns and launched jutsu using the water from the nearby stream.

The torrent of water slammed into the proctor and dispelled the henge covering his form, revealing a Hoshi genin. His teammates leapt to his side as he pulled himself to his feet.

"How did you know?" he asked, shocked that his ruse had failed.

"Figure it our on your own, dumbass," snapped one of the Kiri genin as they all flashed through another set of ninjutsu. A thick mist rolled into the clearing.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:30 AM-

-Training Ground Six-

"Here's the object, and the information is 'never attack where the enemy is strong, never defend where you are weak'," a Kusa genin said, handing over a wooden chit with the symbol for "truth" carved on it.

The proctor examined the chit critically before finally nodding, "Alright, the password is 'four of a kind beats a full house'. Now scram."

The Kusa genin took off, heading back to Training Ground Five and Ibiki. Once they were out of sight the proctor turned to address the tree beside him. "You got a proctor tagged, Shino?"

The tree wavered and faded to reveal Shino and Sasuke, and the proctor's form blurred to reveal Sakura.

"Of course, Sakura-san."

"Then lead on," Sakura said with a grin.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:45 AM-

-Training Ground Nine-

"Yosh! It is a sign of our unending youthfulness that we would receive a clue that leads us to our own Training Ground!"

Tenten didn't even bother to reply, instead hopping towards another tree, heading for the landmark their code indicated. The wooden chit with the symbol for "youth" she discovered once they found it made her face twitch, however; one of the proctors clearly had a sense of humor that she _did not _appreciate.

She was about to leave when she was interrupted by a Kumo team dropping out of the trees across the clearing. Lee watched them curiously and Neji just shook his head in disappointment.

"Thanks for finding the object for us," one of the genin said, waving his kunai menacingly. "Now just hand it over and we'll be on our way."

Tenten sighed as she turned to face the other genin team. "You guys do realize there's a _reason _we found this so quickly, don't you?"

The other genin scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, this is your home town. Why do you think we decided to follow you in the first place? Now hand it over. We may not be able to kill you, but we can still hurt you plenty," he added threateningly.

Tenten just sighed and whipped a kunai towards him. The Kumo genin tensed but just watched in disbelief as the kunai sailed past him, not even close to hitting him.

"... wow, your aim sucks," he said, before he heard an ominous creaking behind him. He turned just in time to see a large log swing out of the tree and slam into him, throwing him across the clearing. More logs caught his teammates as they too were tossed about the clearing.

He groaned as he looked up, his head swimming, "You set... traps... that fast?" he managed to get out before falling unconscious. More logs continued swinging throughout the clearing, moving at various speeds and angles.

Tenten looked concerned for a moment. "That didn't kill any of them did it?"

Neji shook his head. "No, they will be fine. Broken bones and concussions are the worst of their injuries."

Lee frowned as he stroked his chin in confusion. "I don't understand. Why did he refer to Gai-sensei's Youthful Training Course Level One as a trap?"

Tenten just sighed and shook her head. She had long ago given up trying to return Lee's point of view to something more in tune with reality.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:50 AM-

-Training Ground Two-

Kankuro just shook his head as the Kiri genin succumbed to the poison, falling unconscious. He knew his team was good, but to be able to take out an entire genin team by himself that easily? He didn't think Suna's standards were _tha__t _much higher.

"Come on, 'Gaara'," Temari said quietly, "let's get this farce over with."

Her teammate said nothing, just following behind Temari at a sedate pace.

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:00 PM-

-Training Ground Five-

"There should be a limit to how lazy you can be, you know," Kiba said quietly as his team exited the training ground and walked towards Ibiki.

Shikamaru just shrugged. "Why go through all that trouble when we only need the password?"

They walked up to Ibiki who just stared at them impassively. "'The mountain pass is frozen'," Shikamaru said. Ibiki scanned over the scroll in front of him before he nodded, striking through a line on the scroll with his brush.

"Team Seventy-Three passes," he called out loudly. More quietly he said, "You're the eighth team to pass, not bad. The picnic was a nice touch, by the way."

Shikamaru just shrugged as he walked away, heading for the "picnic" Ibiki had mentioned. Sure enough, the figures of the 'Clan Kids' could still be seen munching on snacks and chatting merrily. Shikamaru walked over to where his counterpart was lying on the grass and staring up at the sky, plopping down beside the illusion.

Kiba stared at them for a long moment, but other than the scent couldn't actually tell the difference between them. "That's just creepy," he said. He put his hands together in a ram seal and dispelled the illusion. The picnic wavered for a moment then dispersed.

He snickered to himself when he heard another team walk up to Ibiki and say, "'The mountain pass is frozen."

Ibiki made a show of looking over the scroll before announcing loudly, "Sorry, that password is no good. Team Fifty-Four fails."

Shikamaru frowned to himself. Ibiki had announced their team number rather loudly too. He _really _hoped that didn't mean what he thought it did. He decided to pay closer attention to future announcements anyway.

After Ibiki dealt with the team that had just failed, he stood up. "Alright maggots, it's been an hour. Time for the additional information," he shouted.

The teams who had chosen to remain behind, eighteen in total, looked up eagerly.

"The additional information is... there are only thirty valid passwords, and eight of them have been used. Oh, and you have fifty-eight minutes remaining before the first phase of the exam ends. That is all."

Smirking, he sat back down and resumed flipping through the scrolls spread out on the table. His smirk widened into a grin as he saw the teams who hadn't yet entered the training grounds pale and start swearing loudly as they panicked and rushed through the gate.

He really loved his job sometimes.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Hopefully this version of the first phase is more interesting than reading about the written exam yet again. It's mostly over at this point anyway. I waffled a bit on having Ibiki eject some teams before the exam even started, but they essentially do the same thing in canon anyway - if one person on your team can't hack it, the whole team fails. This also serves as a heads up to the teams (the ones paying attention, anyway) that the real test is more than just what they tell you in the rules.**

**I've taken some inspiration from Kenchi618 and I'll be running the whole exam as a team affair, actually. Another way to mix things up from canon, and more consistent with Konoha's philosophy. The spectators get to see three times as many genin battling it out too, so that should be a win as well. **

**I've only got two-thirds of a chapter of buffer at this point and I'm hoping to participate in NaNoWriMo for real this year (National Novel Writing Month, i.e. November), so expect the pace to slow to two chapters a week for a while. Pumping out 50k in a month might seem easy since I've basically already done three times that for this story in roughly two months, but here I have a lot of material, characters, and a ready-made plot to work with and tweak. Not so with a completely original story.**

***crosses fingers***

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	23. I've Got Your Number

-July 15th, 347 NE-

-12:45 PM-

-Outside Training Ground Five-

All four of the rookie teams had successfully passed the first phase at this point and were simply waiting for time to expire. A total of twenty one teams had passed so far, with Konoha making a particularly strong showing with ten teams passing the first phase already. Of course, they had also started with the most teams, so that was to be expected.

Shikamaru had just revealed how his team had passed, and was feeling slightly uncomfortable with the stares he was receiving at the moment.

The tension was broken as Naruto began to chuckle lowly, his voice soon rising into full-blown laughter. "You just... eavesdropped on a proctor. Of course, it's so... _you_," Naruto said through his laughter. The other kids just shook their heads and relaxed, a bit of grudging admiration in their expressions.

"Anyway, I've got an inkling as to what the next test will involve, and it promises to be particularly troublesome...," Shikamaru said lowly. "Ibiki has been announcing the team numbers very loudly, and he mentioned at the beginning that the numbers we received would serve as our designations for the entire exam. They don't actually need those numbers to determine who passed or failed though, and there's certainly no need to announce them so loudly normally."

"So... what? He wants us to make note of the team numbers for some reason?" Kiba asked.

Sakura sucked in a breath with a low hiss. "Crap. Have you guys been tracking which team is which?" she asked her team.

Sasuke and Shino just shook their heads.

"I think we'd better start, right now."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think we're going to have to do something based on team numbers, and it's going to be a lot harder if we have no idea which team is which. I've been tracking them since we got here, but I don't know the numbers on the first seven teams," he finished, quickly filling in the other genin on the team numbers he knew.

A few more teams entered the clearing, bringing the total to twenty-six. Ibiki stood up from his desk the moment the hour hit one o'clock.

"Alright maggots, time's up. Congratulations to all of those who managed to pass. In case any of you idiots haven't figured it out by now or somehow passed thanks to sheer dumb luck, I will explain the purpose of this exam.

"First off, a chuunin needs to be able to remember information even if they only hear it once, and they need to be able to understand and apply that information as they proceed with their mission. I told you at the very beginning that the exam had already started, but _some _of you apparently didn't listen. I suppose I should be impressed that three teams managed to pass despite wasting an hour waiting for additional information.

"That was a trap, by the way. The information you got was basically useless, even if technically it did tell you more about the situation. I'd suggest you remember that for future reference. Waiting until you know everything is only useful if you still have time to act on it. A chuunin is expected to know where to draw the line and act with what they have available, even if they _know _they could gather more information if they waited. As in this case, that information may end up just confirming that you waited too long.

"Along with a bit of simple code-breaking – and any team that couldn't decipher that in the time allotted deserves to fail – we tested your tracking and navigation skills. Some of the foreign teams decided to follow a Konoha team around, a sound strategy that worked out for some of you that had the proper level of stealth. Some other teams found out what happens when you mess with someone on their home turf.

"Once you actually had the object, you needed to guard it long enough to make it to a proctor. Seven teams had their item taken from them, and six teams handed their object and information over to another team posing as a proctor. One of those fake proctor teams actually handed off their own object and info to another fake proctor; once again, they deserve to fail. Not all of your enemies are going to attack you face-to-face.

"One team actually got their password and failed to protect it. I told you at the very beginning that the exam wasn't over until you presented proof that you had passed; letting an enemy get wind of vital information is just as bad or even worse than failing to obtain it yourself."

Ibiki paused for a moment, picking up a sheet of paper from the table.

"Alright, now for the second phase of the exams. Your proctor should be along any-"

A large plume of smoke exploded in the clearing and there were four rapid _thunks_ of metal striking wood. As the smoke cleared the assembled genin could make out a banner proclaiming "The Sexy, Single Anko Mitarashi – Proctor For The Second Phase."

Anko herself stood proudly, her hands on her hips as her trenchcoat flapped loosely in the breeze, revealing her typical mini-skirt and skintight mesh bodysuit. Her violet hair was pulled into a spiky ponytail, her bangs almost completely covering her headband.

"Alright boys and girls, listen up. I'm Anko Mitarashi, your proctor for the second phase of the exams. You're done, right, Ibiki?" Anko said, sauntering over to the scarred jounin. She snatched the scroll out of his hand and looked it over quickly before rolling it up and tucking it into her trenchcoat.

Ibiki just waved her on. "You can have the little maggots, I'm sick of looking at them."

"Great!" Anko said, clapping her hands together loudly. "Alright kiddos, follow me to the next testing area," she said, and immediately leapt into the tree behind her before tree-hopping away quickly.

The genin scrambled to their feet and followed her, leaving Ibiki and the other proctors behind to deal with the genin still stuck in the training grounds.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Anko finally stopped near a large fence with signs plastered all over it. The signs all said some variation of "warning" and "danger."

"This, boys and girls, will be the testing area for the next phase of the exams. Before we get any further, however, you've got a choice to make. You can call it quits right here, or continue on with the exams," Anko said, smirking.

Silence permeated the clearing for a moment before a genin from Kumo hesitantly asked, "Uh, why would we quit?"

"Glad you asked!" Anko replied. "You would quit because from this point on the kiddy gloves come off. You can, and most likely will, die if you go in there – it's known as 'The Forest of Death' for a reason. Even without fighting the other teams there are plenty of cute, furry little animals in there that will rip your face off." She sighed dramatically. "It's like a home away from home."

This caused a ripple of laughter to spread among the genin... until they realized that none of the teams from Konoha were laughing.

"My cute little slaves – you can call them proctors, if you want – will be passing around waivers. In the probable event of your gruesome demise this will absolve Konoha of any responsibility; we did warn you, after all. Yes, Konoha teams have to sign them too; it cuts down on the paperwork. Once you have signatures from your entire team, turn them back in to a handy slave so we can keep moving."

Anko waited impatiently, juggling a few kunai to pass the time. Once the other proctors signaled that all the waivers had been collected, she resumed speaking.

"Great! Now for the rules.

"First rule: You have three days from the moment the second phase begins to deliver all required items to the tower in the middle of the forest in order to pass."

"Wait, three _days_? We don't have any packs or tents with us!" cried out the sole remaining Hoshi team.

"Not my problem, shithead. You hear anyone else complaining? _They _either have the equipment on them somehow or are prepared to cope, as any chuunin should. Moving on.

"Second rule: You may not leave the Forest of Death for any reason once the second phase begins. Doing so will cause you to fail the exams.

"Third rule: You may not enter the tower without first presenting the required items. Doing so will cause you to fail the exams.

"Fourth rule: Attacking an exam proctor will cause you to fail.

"Fifth rule: Your entire team must be present and alive in order to pass. If a single member of your team dies or fails, the entire team fails.

"Now for the particulars. Each team will be issued a marker with their team number written on it. In order to pass, your team must present its own marker in addition to two other specific team markers to a proctor at the tower. If you do not have your team's marker or fail to acquire the other teams' markers, you will not be able to continue.

"That's the easy part," Anko said, grinning maliciously. "We will not be announcing team numbers from this point on, so I _really _hope you were paying attention earlier. Otherwise your job is going to be a lot harder," she paused to let that sink in and laughed in delight at the panicked looks on some of the teams' faces.

Getting her laughter back under control, she continued her explanation. "We will call the teams forward in the order that they passed the first phase of the exam. Once you have all of your information, you will be able to choose one of the following options: which team numbers you must acquire; which team number must acquire _your _number; which gate you start from; which gate a specific team starts from; or you can find out which team corresponds to a single number.

"Any decisions made earlier in the process preempt those made later, so if two teams are already targeting team one, no one else will be able to claim them later, and so on. Once you have made your choice, you will move directly to your gate and wait for the signal to start the exam.

"Oh, and just because we know _someone _will try it, sixth rule: you can't pick your own team number as a target in any fashion," she added, smirking at Shikamaru. He just grumbled under his breath while his teammates snickered.

"Now then, you," she said, pointing to a team from Kumo, "managed to pass first, so step into our handy tent and we can get this started."

* * *

"Ah, eighth place," Anko told Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji, "So, what'll it be?"

Kiba and Chouji looked at Shikamaru, who just sighed. "What is our information without making any choices?"

Anko smirked. "Ah, finally someone who pays attention. As it stands, you will be targeting teams nine and forty-seven and starting from gate twenty-four."

"Who is targeting our team?" he asked.

"Nope, that isn't included. Unless you want to pick out which team it will be?"

Shikamaru grumbled softly as he considered his options. "Which gate is team forty-seven starting from?"

"Also not included."

"Tch. Fine, team forty-seven has to target our team."

"Righteo," Anko said. "Record it, slave!" she said, slapping one of the chuunin on the back playfully. The chuunin just grumbled good-naturedly as he made the adjustments to the scrolls.

Chouji took the chit and hid it on his person before they left the tent.

"Make sure you have the scent on those two teams, Kiba. Those are our targets," Shikamaru said, discreetly motioning to an Ame team and a Kiri team.

"Got it," Kiba said quietly. Akamaru yipped in agreement.

* * *

"Ninth place," Anko said as Temari and her team entered the tent. "What'll it be?"

"What do we have now?" asked Temari.

"You are currently targeting team twenty-seven and team seventy, and will be starting from gate three."

Temari grimaced. Those were both Konoha teams and she really didn't want to tempt fate at the moment. After reviewing her options for a moment, she decided to pick two Suna teams to target. They would surrender immediately once they realized Gaara was targeting them. Or it _looked _like Gaara was targeting them, anyway. Kankuro was skilled enough with his puppet and knew Gaara well enough to mimic anything short of his sand control. Gaara himself would be waiting inside the tower for them, hopefully still resting peacefully as he caught up on a lifetime's worth of sleep.

"We'll target teams twenty-two and forty-three."

"Team twenty-two is already taken."

"Fine, forty-three and forty-six."

"Righteo."

* * *

"Eleventh place," Anko said as Naruto, Ino, and Hinata entered the tent. "What'll it be?"

"Information?" prompted Naruto.

"Now it's just getting boring," Anko complained. "As it stands, you will be targeting teams fifty-seven and sixty-one and will start from gate eight."

The three genin consulted briefly. "Change our targets to team two and team sixty."

"Sixty is already taken."

"Two and fifty then."

"Done."

* * *

"Twelfth Place," Anko said as Neji, Lee, and Tenten entered the tent. "What'll it be?"

"Information?" asked Neji.

"No fun at all with you guys," Anko muttered. "You current targets are team fourteen and team seventy-one. You will start from gate sixteen."

The genin cursed quietly. Seventy-one was Naruto's team; they didn't want to target their friends in any case, but they _really_ didn't want to target his team in particular. They had hoped to use their option to gain an advantage, not get rid of a disadvantage.

They talked it over. "We'll target teams sixteen and fifty-seven," they finally said.

"Got it."

* * *

"Fourteenth place," Anko grumbled as Sakura, Sasuke, and Shino walked into the tent. "What'll it be?"

"Infor-"

"Kami, I hate you guys. No fun at all. You are currently targeting teams nine and sixty-one and will start from gate one."

Sakura turned to her teammates. "Hmm... nine is the team that finished just before we did. Do we want to change our targets?"

"I suspect we will have some difficulty acquiring the targets we desire at this point. It would be logical for the earlier teams to target those teams that finished last, as they would be the 'weakest'," Shino reasoned.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's not any teams in our group, so does it matter?"

Sakura grumbled under her breath then turned to Anko. "Team sixty-one has to target us."

Anko grinned maliciously as she noted the other team that had to target team nine. That would make things interesting.

"Righteo."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-3:30 PM-

-Forest of Death, Gate Eight-

A loud bang echoed in the distance, and the proctor who had escorted them to their entrance gate channeled chakra into the locking seal. The gate swung open, creaking ominously.

Naruto snickered. "Nice touch on the sound seal there."

"Scared the hell out of me the first time I heard it," the chuunin confessed. "Anyway, get a move on, the second phase has started."

Naruto lead the team into the forest, moving rapidly for a couple of minutes and covering roughly half a kilometer of the heavily forested terrain before they stopped in a convenient clearing. Hinata already had her byakugan activated, scanning for any approaching teams as well as trying to locate their targets.

"There are two teams in the area, both currently moving away from us. One of them is team two."

Naruto grinned widely. "Perfect. Let's go say hello to our new friends."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-4:00 PM-

The genin team from Kiri paused to catch their breath. They weren't used to this terrain, and all the tree-hopping they had to do in order to move at something resembling a decent speed was already wearing on them. They were hoping to track down the Oto team first before they had to deal with their fellow Kiri team as their second target.

Shuuichi quickly drew his sword when a blond Konoha genin stepped out from behind a tree, his two teammates, both female, following close behind him.

"Hey guys!" the blond said, waving happily. "How's everything going?"

Shuuichi kept a wary eye on them, not letting his guard down. Such an obvious approach had to be a prelude to a trap. He saw Kasumi stiffen slightly for a moment out of the corner of his eye, but she quickly relaxed.

"What do you want, idiot?" he snapped at the blond.

"Now that's not a very nice thing to say...," the other genin replied, frowning. His eyes suddenly widened and his hand thrust out, pointing somewhere behind Shuuichi. "Look out, there's something behind you!"

"... really? That's the best you've-" he never got to finish his sentence as Kasumi's scabbard slammed into the back of his head, knocking him out.

Naruto sighed sadly. "I tried to tell you."

Kasumi just shook her head even as she tied up her teammates and removed all of her equipment pouches. "You are way too good at acting like an idiot, Naruto. Is there something we should know? Ah, here's the marker."

"Laugh it up, Ino. Laugh it up." He looked up into the branches overhead. "Anything headed our way, Hinata?"

Hinata's voice drifted down. "Not yet. No leads on our other target at the moment."

"Alright, you guys head north and keep looking, I'll catch up to you in a bit. I need to take care of something here," he said, dispelling the two bunshin beside him and advancing on the unconscious Kiri team. As soon as Ino ended the Mind Transfer he had the last genin unconscious and swiftly tied up. He exchanged a significant look with Ino as she entered the clearing and she nodded quickly, understanding his message.

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked quietly as she dropped into the clearing.

"It's fine, Hinata," Ino said, leading her away. "We'll be able to cover more ground this way. Just don't take too long," she told Naruto. He waved them off and they soon left.

He waited a few minutes until he was certain Hinata's byakugan was out of range, then moved to the first Kiri genin, slapping him awake.

Shuuichi sputtered for a moment before he glared at Naruto. "What the hell do you want, Konoha-nin? You've got our marker already, I'm sure."

"Ah, but you can still be useful to me. You see, I've got so many things I've wanted to try out, but experimenting on allies is considered bad form. How fortunate that we're alone, that you aren't from Konoha or one of our allies, and that you signed that handy little waiver."

Shuuichi's face slowly grew pale, but he tried to laugh it off. "H-haha, very f-funny. You can untie us now."

"Before we get started, there is one question I'd like to ask of you...," he said, inhaling deeply. Even this close, with time to focus on the scent, he couldn't detect any trace of his sister who was supposedly bound in Kiri. "What happened to your village's jinchuuriki?"

The genin looked genuinely confused at the question. "What's a jinchuuriki?"

Naruto just shook his head and held up his finger, extending a bit of pure youki from the tip. "Ah well, I guess you can't be expected to know something like that. Now, I need you to be honest – does this hurt?"

Judging by the screams, it did.

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-6:00 PM-

Sakura sighed as she followed Shino through the forest. He had only been able to tag one of their targets and it seemed that the Konoha team he had tagged had started far enough away that none of his bugs could detect them at the moment. They were reduced to moving towards the tower in the hopes of finding either of the teams they needed to pass.

They had greatly reduced their pace from the initial dash into the forest, wary of running into other teams or traps. Shino's bugs were very useful for tracking chakra, but mundane traps were rather harder for them to detect. Sasuke's sharingan was useful there, but he couldn't afford to keep it active for too long lest he burn through all his chakra.

Shino's hand suddenly came up in warning and the group halted, assuming defensive stances as they scanned the forest around them. The massive trees within the Forest of Death towered above them, the trunks easily a hundred feet in diameter. They couldn't see anything yet, but they trusted Shino's scouting abilities and knew someone or something was nearby.

After a tense moment of silence a Suna genin stepped out from behind a tree, a war-fan held defensively in front of her.

"You aren't our target," she called out warily. "No need to fight."

Sakura exchanged quick glances with her team, mouthing the word "Thirty." Sasuke just shrugged and relaxed slightly, though he continued to scan their surroundings in case it was a trick. Shino inclined his head slightly, indicating his own acceptance.

"You aren't ours either," Sakura called out. "If you head on your way we won't attack you."

The Suna genin nodded slowly and began moving away, keeping her distance as she circumvented the Konoha team. A minute later she jumped away. Neither Sakura or Sasuke detected her teammates at any point, which worried them slightly.

"There is something odd about that team," Shino said quietly once they were alone. "My kikaichuu reported three people moving about, but only detected two chakra signatures."

"... what does that mean? The third person can completely suppress their chakra?" Sasuke asked.

"Completely suppressing chakra is impossible," Shino replied firmly. "Kikaichuu can detect and distinguish even civilian levels of chakra. One of the hidden genin had chakra attached to the third in some manner I have never seen before."

Sakura thought it over for moment. "It was a Suna team, so a puppet, perhaps?"

Shino inclined his head towards Sakura. "That would explain it, yes. That also means their third teammate is not within range of my kikaichuu, or has found a way to avoid them. I... do not like that."

"Well, let's assume he was out of range for the moment, but keep an eye on them anyway. They finished just after Shika's team did, so they're probably one of the stronger teams in the exam. The genin we saw looked... what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

Sasuke nodded. "About that, yeah. Definitely a veteran team."

"Well, we can worry about them if they pass. We still need to find teams nine and sixty-one."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-9:00 PM-

"What's the plan, Shika? Akamaru has team nine's scent, they're maybe ten minutes ahead of us."

Shikamaru fell into a crouch, resting on his heels. His hands came up in front of him, the thumbs and fingers connecting to form a circle. Kiba and Chouji both recognized this as Shika's "thinking" pose and fell silent to wait, keeping a watch on their surroundings as they did so.

A minute later Shikamaru dropped his hands and sighed. "We need to hit them while we can. Another team is targeting them and we have no idea how close they could be or where they'll go after they attack. Securing the marker now is our best option.

"Ideally we could wait until one or both teams were tired, but until we have at least one marker secured we need to be aggressive."

"Fine by me," Kiba said, smirking. Chouji just nodded, ready to support whatever decision Shikamaru made.

"Alright, here's the plan. We'll follow them until they begin to make camp and strike before they have a chance to secure the area. I'll lead with a Shadow Possession jutsu – with luck I'll be able to hit all of them and we'll be done. Chouji will cover me while Kiba and Akamaru close in from the opposite side. We'll make adjustments as needed just before we attack."

Two hours later the Kiri team they were tracking finally stopped and began pulling off their packs. Shikamaru pointed out the location he would attack from and where he wanted Kiba to launch his attack from, then the group split up to move into position.

Before they reached their designated spots, however, one of the Kiri genin began running through handsigns. Shikamaru cursed and shouted, "Plan C!"

Kiba immediately broke from cover and charged the Kiri genin, tossing kunai as he went. He had hoped to disrupt the jutsu but another genin intercepted his kunai, easily slapping them out of the air with a sword. The genin smirked and charged forward, closing in with Kiba.

"Dammit," Kiba growled softly as he jumped back. He hated fighting weapon-users. Tenten always gave him trouble in their training sessions, even when he had Akamaru backing him up.

Shikamaru eyed the Kiri genin for a moment before he stepped back into the shadows, seamlessly creating a bunshin in his place. "Dragon horse sweeps left," he muttered under his breath.

Chouji nodded and rumbled into the clearing, moving far slower than he was capable of and making sure to draw attention. Shikamaru's bunshin followed behind, brandishing kunai and looking vaguely threatening. Shikamaru himself began circling the clearing quietly.

The Kiri genin finally completed his jutsu and slammed his hand onto the ground, calling out, "Water Release: Water Geyser!"

The ground rumbled for a brief moment before a stream of water burst from the ground and shot upwards, reaching fifty feet high before it began to fall back to the ground. The third genin on the team, the sole female, was already running through her own handsigns.

Chouji put on a sudden burst of speed, catching the third genin off-guard as his fist slammed into the her stomach, launching her backwards to slam into a tree at the edge of a clearing. The unfortunate genin didn't have time to recover or even fall to the ground before Chouji was on her again, backhanding her with his left arm and tossing her back towards the middle of the clearing. He felt a little bad about doing that to a girl, but his ninja training, and more importantly years of getting thrashed by Ino and Hinata in spars, dulled that guilt considerably.

He followed after his target, leaving the first Kiri genin separated from his teammates behind him.

Kiba and Akamaru were currently darting back and forth, harassing their sword-wielding opponent. Neither had managed to land a blow, but neither had taken a blow either.

Shikamaru's bunshin was closing with the first Kiri genin, but the chakra-laced water was disrupting the bunshin's form, revealing it's illusory nature.

The first Kiri genin cursed before running through a short string of handsigns and calling out, "Water Release: Water Spear!" He pulled back his right hand and a stream of water detached from the geyser, following his hand's movement. He started to thrust his hand forward towards Chouji's back, but suddenly jerked to the side as he did so, the lance impacting a tree instead of his intended target.

"Shadow Possession, success!" Shikamaru called out, alerting his teammates to the changing situation.

Chouji and Kiba both grinned as they heard Shikamaru's voice. The first genin began walking towards the ongoing battle between Kiba and the sword-wielding genin while Chouji moved to cover his own opponent, who was currently attempting to pull herself off the ground with limited success. A kunai held to her throat put a stop to her efforts.

"It would be a good idea to surrender at this point," Shikamaru said lazily as he entered the clearing. He stopped walking as the shadow that was currently connected to the first genin forked and connected to Chouji's downed opponent. Once Chouji saw that Shikamaru had his opponent captured, he moved to reinforce Kiba.

The remaining Kiri genin settled into a defensive stance as he took in the situation. He sighed and lowered his sword slightly. "Fine, I surrender."

"Good, now drop your sword and any other weapons you have and turn over your marker."

The genin slowly complied, keeping a wary eye on the Konoha ninja. Kiba and Chouji kept their distance but didn't relax from their stances.

Once the genin had dropped all of his pouches he pointed to the third genin. "She has the marker."

Chouji moved back over to her and searched through her pouches, finally pulling out the wooden marker with the number nine written on it. He checked it over for any illusions or traps but eventually nodded. "Got it," he told his team.

"Alright, here's the deal," Shikamaru said. "We're going to take most of your equipment, but you can keep your sword for self-defense. I would suggest leaving the forest now, but that's your call. If you try to follow us or if we run across you again we'll have to take more permanent measures."

"Thanks," the Kiri genin replied sarcastically. He watched sullenly as the Konoha team tied up his two teammates, gathered up all of their ninja tools and food supplies, and took off.

"Fucking treehuggers," growled the first genin once they had left. "We need to get our marker back," he said.

"Not happening," replied the third genin with a wince. "They could have killed us easily, and I'm not sure they were even trying that hard. The fat one hit harder than our sensei does during spars."

"Yeah, we're done. We need to get out of here," added the second genin.

"... fine. Dammit."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-10:30 PM-

-Sarutobi Residence-

The Hokage examined the many files spread out on his desk, thinking deeply. His mind had constantly rehashed the conversation with the Toad's Contract Keeper, trying to analyze the answers and evasions they had received for the hidden truth.

He also recalled Jiraiya's report concerning what Gamabunta had told him about the events of the sealing. Then too the Toad Chief had stumbled over certain answers and Jiraiya, skilled spymaster that he was, had picked up on their reticence easily even if he couldn't explain it.

The Toads – and the other summons, most likely – knew something about the tailed beasts that they weren't saying. The way the toad had phrased his responses – _'the one known as Naruto Uzumaki'_, _'essentially correct'_ – also pulled at his mind. He hadn't given it a great deal of thought at the time, but he found his mind drifting to those words more and more and a certain nagging feeling had begun to claw at him.

He pulled out the report on Itachi's desertion and attempted assassination of Naruto. "Never trust your eyes," he'd said. He had been reviewing Naruto's file at the time, had been for several days according to the Archive logs. They never had figured out what he'd been referring to.

Sarutobi reviewed the order of events in his head. Itachi reads the file, suffers some sort of seizure or fit, says those words to the two people present in the room, somehow lures Naruto from within the Yamanaka household into the Forest of Death where he then attempts to kill him and flees Konoha.

They had come up with many theories to explain Itachi's actions – jealousy, insanity, treachery – but none of them seemed to fit, and none explained his last words or the lack of any other signs prior to the event.

Sighing, he turned his attention to Naruto's medical file. Shizune-chan had briefed him on the changes to Naruto's eyes and her speculation that these changes could continue, perhaps indefinitely, as the concentration of the tailed beast's chakra continued to grow within his body. She reiterated that he was suffering no ill effects from the process and that the changes were at worst cosmetic and potentially beneficial.

She had been unable to explain the discrepancy in the growth pattern, however. She had initially theorized that the concentration had reached maximum saturation in his eyes and would do so in the rest of his body at some point. Even based on this additional information she couldn't explain why or how the concentration had stopped increasing before and resumed now.

Sarutobi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was certainly an odd coincidence that the increase would stop just shy of triggering visible changes. Shizune's theory about the eventual form of his eyes following the same path as the marks on his cheeks and mimicking the traits of the nine-tailed beast was a little disconcerting, even as she emphasized that this change was strictly due to the increase in chakra levels within his body and in no way indicated the tailed beast's influence.

Sarutobi froze, a cold feeling settling deep into his gut. His hand slowly reached out and pulled out a report Inoichi shortly after the Kumo incident, detailing the differences in Naruto's reactions to the attempted assassination and the Kumo ninja's attack. Specifically how he found the fact that Naruto did not call upon the tailed beast's chakra encouraging and how he felt this reflected the benefits of Naruto's new situation already.

Sarutobi pulled out another report, this one from a Hyuuga ANBU member tasked with studying Naruto's chakra after the sudden spike in his chakra control. The ANBU had reported that the two different chakras within his body began merging in preparation for a jutsu, the process seemingly instinctual.

Another report, this one from Shizune. Naruto's medical studies were progressing rapidly, his chakra control nearly perfect and his knowledge steadily growing. He did not seem bothered at all by the less pleasant aspects of surgery. He also expressed an interest in optimizing bodily functions in addition to repairing damage, and had submitted a short thesis on a potential method of increasing muscle density for Shizune's review.

Another report, this one from Inoichi. Naruto continues to have difficulty sleeping and will often enter the library late at night when he finds himself unable to sleep. However, he seems to suffer no ill effects from this lack of rest. A note on the report referenced an examination performed by Shizune, who determined that the rapid healing Naruto had also greatly reduced his need for sleep.

Sarutobi pulled out another report, this one containing Inoichi's original theory about Naruto's condition. _'I think Naruto was aware and cognizant as early as six months old,' _he had said.

The cold feeling in his gut hardened into fear as he began to wonder if it might not have been even earlier than that.

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-11:45 PM-

-The Forest of Death-

Neji watched their surroundings warily as Tenten finished setting up the last of the traps. Lee would be taking second watch and so had already fallen asleep in his tent.

Tenten made her way to the center of the clearing and unsealed her tent, quickly setting it up with practiced ease. "That was rather lucky, wasn't it?" she asked idly as she worked.

"Hmm?" Neji replied absently.

"Both our targets starting from gates near ours. I thought we'd have a harder time of it since we had to pick new targets, but it worked out very well in the end."

"Do not relax your guard yet, we still have to make it to the tower."

"You know what I meant," Tenten snapped.

"... my apologies. Yes, it was lucky."

"Sorry," Tenten said quietly after a moment. "I'm just worried about the other teams. I know they have skills – we've trained with them, after all – but they're still rookies."

"Judging from the caliber of opponents we have seen so far, I don't think they will have any difficulty," Neji replied confidently.

Tenten snorted softly. "You've got a point there." She looked thoughtful for a moment, the shook her head. "Good night, Neji," she said, then crawled into her tent.

"Good night, Tenten," Neji replied, still scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble. He would activate his byakugan for a few moments then deactivate it again, trying to conserve chakra for the rest of the night.

"Sleep well," he muttered quietly, his eyes lingering on Tenten's tent for a moment.

* * *

**A/N: The prep for the second phase was... interesting.**

**I ended up making a spreadsheet of the twenty-six teams that passed, their team numbers, the order in which they completed the first exam, and their nationality. I then took those numbers, randomized them, and slammed them into two "target" columns. Once I'd corrected any duplicates or teams targeting themselves, I just ran down the list as a thought exercise. **

**e.g. "Hmm... first place is targeting teams x and y, what option would they take? Well, both these teams finished with a 'slow' time, so they'd just have one of those teams target them rather than changing."**

**So the scenes with the teams in the tent are based off of that listing - Team Gai really did have Naruto's team number based on the random draw, and their two target teams really did start right next to them (relatively speaking). Once I'd done all that work to draw up the teams, not only was the rest of the second phase a lot easier to write I also had a reference to make sure I wasn't making any continuity errors. **

**Anyway, hope you guys like this version of the second phase. **

**Now, I've had some reviews pointing out some mistakes or problems with the story so far. First off, thank you. Your feedback is helping me (hopefully) become a better writer and that means a lot to me.**

**Second, a lot of feedback basically said that I was pulling the "leaving out information even though the PoV character hears it" card - or, as I think of it, the "fake tension" card - too often. You could add a corollary that I've been teasing certain plot lines (*cough*Kushina-Sarutobi-Tsunade*cough*) since the beginning of the story with little in the way of additional info. I'm listening. **

**I won't be changing the chapters I've already published, but I will be making a point to reveal more information and avoiding withholding it like that in the future. That said, I have to keep the flow of the story in mind and just dumping in exposition on what happened with Kushina or what the Toads offered Jiraiya in the middle of the exams wouldn't feel right to me. Kushina and Tsunade will be stepping back into the light sooner rather than later, so I will have an opportunity to reveal more of that subplot. **

**As for the bet among the rookie teams, that'll be covered in the break between the second and third phases. It's not a major plot point anyway, just a nice method of motivation.  
**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	24. Answer Me This

-July 16th, 347 NE (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-6:00 AM-

-The Forest of Death-

Akamaru sniffed around the perimeter of the campsite, pausing occasionally before continuing on his way. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba continued to break down their tents and traps and seal everything away in the sealing scrolls Naruto had provided. They had to admit it definitely paid to have a budding seal master as one of their friends. They carried every tool a ninja could possibly need in triplicate, each, without weighing themselves down with more than a few kunai pouches.

Akamaru finally whined quietly as he moved next to Kiba, his tail drooping slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Akamaru," Kiba said affectionately. "If you can't find it then the scent isn't there."

Shikamaru sighed quietly. "Troublesome... now we have to start searching the entire forest."

Kiba just laughed. "We have to make up for the easy win in the first phase somehow."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-9:00 AM-

"Yep, those are the markers you need. Good job," the proctor said, smiling at Team Gai.

"Yosh! Our flames of youth have made us the first team to pass the second phase of the exam!" Lee cried out excitedly.

The proctor coughed. "Actually... you're the second team to pass."

Neji's eyebrow raised slightly. "Oh? Did Naruto and his team already pass?"

"Nope, haven't seen any sign of that team, and they'd be hard to miss. It was a team from Suna that passed already, actually. Finished in just under seven hours. Damned if I know how, since one of their targets started clear on the other side of the forest."

"... I see," Neji said thoughtfully.

"Yosh! I must test myself against their flames of youth!" cried Lee, looking like he was ready to charge into the tower that very moment.

"Save it for the exams, Lee," Tenten said drily.

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-11:00 AM-

"Anything Shino? Sasuke?" Both of her teammates just shook their heads, and Sakura sighed. "This isn't going nearly as smoothly as I had hoped. It's one thing to fight them and fail, but we can't even find our targets to begin with!"

"I would not worry excessively, Sakura-san. Team sixty-one at least must target our team as well, so we will almost certainly encounter them at some point."

"Doesn't help with team nine," she replied sourly.

Sasuke just shrugged. "We've got two days, and we've already covered this section of the forest. If we keep moving we'll find them eventually."

Sakura grumbled under her breath but relaxed as her teammates soothed her fears.

"Fine, let's go."

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-1:00 PM-

The last of the Taki team crumpled to the ground under Hinata's assault. Hinata slowly relaxed, the blue glow around her hands fading as she recovered her breath.

"See? Couldn't be easier," Naruto said firmly, patting Hinata on the shoulder. Hinata blushed slightly and nodded.

Ino held up the wooden marker she'd pulled from one of the Taki genin's pouches. "And here's number fifty. Now we just have to get to the tower."

"You guys go on ahead and make sure the path is clear. I'll stick around til these guys wake up, make sure they have a chance to make it out of here safely."

"Um, we could stay with you, Naruto-kun," Hinata offered.

Naruto smiled at her but waved her off. "Nah, don't worry about it. You guys are much more suited to scouting than I am."

Ino chimed in, pulling Hinata away from the clearing. "He'll be fine. Besides, this gives us a chance to talk without little brother overhearing. He's cool and all, but he's still a guy, you know?"

Hinata blushed slightly but didn't protest as Ino lead her away from the clearing, though she sent the occasional worried glance towards Naruto.

Kuushou watched them leave with a thoughtful expression on his face. Coming up with excuses like this was a little tiresome – it would be so much simpler if Hinata was in on the secret. He didn't know her nearly as well as Ino, though, and couldn't be certain how she would react. She seemed to have a small crush on him which could possibly help, but romantic attachments were much harder to predict than familial ones. Humans made things so very complicated in those matters. Yet another area where demons clearly had a superior outlook on things.

Shrugging, he set aside that line of thought and focused on the task at hand. The Taki genin were all tied up and unconscious at the moment, so he moved over to the closest one and slapped him awake. The genin looked confused and opened his mouth, but Kuushou clapped his hand over the genin's mouth before he could say anything.

"These conversations get old quickly, so I'll do all the talking. Now, my former assistants were very helpful, but they didn't last very long. They found their work too demanding, it seems; a pity. Fortunately, I've made great strides since then and things should go much more smoothly with you.

"First things first," Kuushou said, inhaling deeply. The welcome scent of one of his brothers, Shijyou, filled his senses. It was faint but clear. "What do you know about jinchuuriki?" he asked, letting the genin speak.

The look of disgust that crossed the genin's face surprised him. "_That _piece of trash? Why do you want to know about her?"

"I take it the jinchuuriki is not popular?"

"Like anyone would want to be friends with that freak."

Kuushou nodded, a small smile crossing his face. It seemed Suna was not the only village to mistreat their jinchuuriki, which would make recruiting or stealing her away that much easier. All the better for him.

"Does she complain of 'screaming'? Does she randomly kill people?"

"What?" His face paled at Kuushou's insistent glare. "Uh, no screaming, not that I know of. And she wouldn't dare hit anyone, much less kill somebody."

Kuushou's smile grew slightly. Jiraiya had seemed certain that none of the other seals could possibly be as bad as Ryuudo's had been, but it was a relief to have confirmation that at least one of his siblings had not suffered in that manner. His curiosity sated, he turned his attention to more immediate matters.

"Now, I need you to be honest – does this hurt?" he asked, extending a spike of pure youki from his finger and pushing it into the genin's chest.

The genin's eyes widened in surprise before they furrowed in confusion.

"What the hell are you-" the genin began, but was cut off by Kuushou's hand.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Excellent! Now, I really would appreciate it if you kept your responses focused on the topic at hand. You'll find the entire experience far more **pleasant**_**.**_"

The genin's eyes widened and his breathing became harsh and shallow before he nodded rapidly.

"Good! Now, how does it feel?" Kuushou asked, removing his hand again.

The genin gulped before replying hesitantly, "It... tingles, a little. Kinda like a medical jutsu."

Kuushou nodded thoughtfully. "I see. How about now?"

"Um... the tingle is gone, actually."

"Perfect," Kuushou purred, smiling. "What about now?"

"I... feel a little weird. I... it's kinda-" the genin began to say before he began to convulse. His body began to glow blue as chakra radiated off of him, though the glow began to gradually turn purple. His eyes were wide and frantic before they rolled up into his head.

Kuushou nodded thoughtfully. "How would you describe that sensation?" he asked.

The genin didn't reply, just shuddering occasionally on the ground. Kuushou sighed before his hands began to glow green. After he healed the genin he slapped him awake again.

The genin's eyes filled with tears as he stared up at his blond captor. "Please just let me go."

Kuushou shook his head, adopting a sad expression. "If you'd just answer my questions it'll all be over soon. Now, how did that feel?"

"It- please, just let me-" he cut off his plea as Kuushou's eyes narrowed. "It... it felt like my chakra was exploding. Like I was trying to use a jutsu without expelling the chakra."

"Interesting... if that's the case, then...," he trailed off before extending his youki into the genin's body again. The genin began to scream immediately but his voice soon cut off. Kuushou grinned widely as he withdrew his hand and untied the ropes binding the genin. The genin stood up jerkily, his movements hesitant and uncoordinated. Slowly he began to walk towards the edge of the clearing, his eyes staring vacantly at nothing and his expression slack.

Before he could make it to the edge of the clearing there was a wet tearing sound and red energy poured out of his back towards Kuushou. The genin collapsed in a bloody heap and didn't move again.

"Well now, that's interesting. Not sure how much use I'll get out of that, exactly, but I daresay I'll think of something." He stood and moved over to the genin, his hands glowing green again as he knelt next to the body. "And you survived that! Well, for a few seconds, anyway. I'm impressed."

Kuushou turned back, eying the other two genin speculatively. "Now that we've got that matter cleared up, I do believe Ino wanted a defense against genjutsu, amongst other alterations. Let's see what you two can come up with, shall we?"

* * *

-Same Day (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-2:30 PM-

-Near The Tower-

"About time you got here," Ino said. "You're not supposed to keep a lady waiting, much less two of them."

"Sorry, Ino-nee-chan. It took a while to get those genin back on their feet. I just hope they make it out of the forest alright. Some of those tigers looked rather vicious."

"Eh, not our problem," Ino said quickly before turning to face the tower. "Now, let's go turn in our markers."

* * *

-3:00 PM (Day One of the Second Phase)-

-Inside The Tower-

"I can't believe Tenten's team beat us here. We could have made it a lot faster if you hadn't wasted so much time," Ino grumbled as she stretched out on her bed.

They had been assigned a room on the third floor of the tower and had to wait until the second phase of the exam ended before they could head back to Konoha. The room itself was fairly plain, but it contained three beds that were reasonably comfortable and an attached bathroom with a shower. Ino had let Hinata take the first shower so she would have a chance to talk with Naruto.

"I wouldn't say I wasted my time," Naruto said smugly. "Here, give me your hand."

Ino stretched out her hand and Naruto held it with his own. She waited a few seconds for him to do something, but didn't feel anything. "Well?"

"Exactly," Naruto said, his voice still smug. Ino's eyes widened when red tendrils of energy began curling off her own arm.

"Pure youki?" she asked, waving her other hand through the tendrils.

"Yep, completely harmless if I... _twist _it the right way. Or I could do something like this," he said.

Ino gasped as a warm feeling flowed down her arm and spread throughout her body. "That feels... good," she said.

"So I'm told. This is much faster than using individual healing techniques, though I certainly wouldn't be able to explain what I'm doing to anyone else."

Ino frowned slightly. "What did you do to the genin teams to figure this out?" she asked quietly.

Naruto paused for a moment. "Do you really want to know?"

Ino swallowed thickly. Naruto's response pretty much answered her question. "Just... just don't do anything to allies, alright?"

"Of course. Why do you think I have waited so long?"

Ino nodded shakily. "What else did you figure out?"

"Well, I've gotten started on making improvements to other people, although I still need a lot more work before I'd be willing to try it on you. I can also take control of someone else's body if I need to, though I still have the same range problem as always."

"I see... is that what the vibration is?"

"No. Still have no idea what the vibration is or does, but this isn't related to it. I never observed the chakra vibrating with the other genin at any point, nor is it vibrating with you. I'm starting to think it does have something to do with this body in particular, rather than simply being a normal reaction between youki and chakra."

"Huh. You don't have any bloodlines, do you?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Certainly nothing like what I have observed among the other clans. To my knowledge neither of my biological parents had a bloodline either."

"And you still can't use chakra by itself?"

In response Naruto just held up his hand, a ball of purplish energy forming in it. The purple tinge slowly faded until it was nearly a solid blue, but the ball began to warp and dim and eventually faded entirely before it became pure chakra. "That would be a no," he said drily.

"Well, what's unique to you, then?" Ino asked, glad to have a topic of conversation to distract her from the images her mind was conjuring up about the fate of those genin. She knew that Naruto didn't care about other human beings in general any more than she worried about the fate of ants beneath her feet, but that didn't mean she personally was quite so... matter of fact about it.

"Quite a lot, apparently. I know of no other person with either Namikaze or Uzumaki blood, nor do I know of another jinchuuriki in my... situation. The Death God's seal is also limited to me alone. Any or all of those things could be contributing to this reaction."

Ino frowned, thinking about the points he had just listed off. "Yeah, it's kinda hard to narrow something down from all of that. Still, are you sure that's everything?"

"If you come up with any ideas, I'm listening," Naruto said, moving away to stretch out on his own bed, "but Hinata just turned the water off, so we'll have to talk another time."

* * *

-Same Day (Day Two of the Second Phase)-

-4:00 PM-

Akamaru's excited bark had the whole team stopping in their tracks and looking towards the small dog in anticipation.

"You got 'em, Akamaru?" Kiba asked, receiving another bark in return. "Great work!" He turned to face Shikamaru and Chouji. "They headed south, following the river towards the tower."

"Then we go south."

* * *

-Same Day (Day Two of the Second Phase)-

-4:30 PM-

"What do you think, guys?" Sakura said, watching from high in the branches of a tree as the Ame team took a break, refilling their canteens from the river and pulling out ration bars from their packs.

"They are not our targets, but we have yet to find either of our own. Perhaps another team's marker could prove useful as a bargaining chip."

"We can take them," Sasuke said confidently. "We need _something_ or we're going to fail. We can even try to change the number on a marker using a genjutsu if we can't find our targets before time runs out."

"We are unlikely to deceive a proctor with such a tactic," Shino pointed out. Sasuke glared at him before nodding towards Sakura, who appeared rather worried. Shino sighed quietly and inclined his head slightly towards Sasuke. "Nonetheless, it is possible."

Sakura nodded slowly. "Alright, so we're agreed then? We'll take this team out and hold on to their marker?"

Shino and Sasuke both nodded.

"How are we going to attack, then?"

"We _did _just spend the last month perfecting a new genjutsu combination," Sasuke said, smirking.

Sakura brightened and nodded firmly.

* * *

-Same Day (Day Two of the Second Phase)-

-6:00 PM-

Shikamaru sighed quietly as he took in team forty-seven's current state. They had finally located the Ame team they had been searching for the last twelve hours, but someone else had gotten to them first. Even though all of the Ame genin were unconscious, their wounds had been bandaged and they were tucked into the shelter of a small hollow beneath a tree.

Most importantly, their marker was gone.

Kiba began swearing loudly in response to Akamaru's bark, drawing Shikamaru's and Chouji's attention.

"What is it?"

"It was Sakura, Sasuke, and Shino," Kiba growled.

"... troublesome...," Shikamaru sighed. "If we're after the same team only one of us can pass."

"No shit!" Kiba snapped before he resumed cursing loudly.

"Well, they don't necessarily need team forty-seven's marker. They could have taken it as a bargaining chip in case another team has the marker they need."

Kiba considered that thought for a moment, nodding. "Maybe, yeah."

Chouji decided to interrupt at this point. "Shouldn't we go after them, in that case?"

Shikamaru and Kiba both nodded in response, and Kiba turned back to his canine companion. "Alright Akamaru, find Team Kurenai!"

* * *

-Same Day (Day Two of the Second Phase)-

-9:00 PM-

"My kikaichuu have finally found the scent trail for team sixty-one. They seem to be circling the tower."

"Alright! Things are finally looking up," Sakura cheered. "How far away are they?"

"We should be able to catch up to them in thirty minutes, perhaps less."

"We should take them out tonight, that way we can focus on finding the last marker we need tomorrow," Sasuke said. His teammates nodded in agreement.

Thirty minutes later they were surveying the camp team sixty-one had set up as they settled down for the night. Sasuke's sharingan was activated as he studied the area. "They've set up traps around the perimeter, but they're pretty basic. They have a couple of decoy traps, but nothing we wouldn't have noticed anyway."

"My kikaichuu report two genin within the tents while a third is hidden in the trees on the east side of the clearing."

Sakura nodded. "Shino takes out the guard, then Sasuke and I take out the ones in the tents?" she suggested.

Sasuke and Shino both nodded in agreement.

Shino sent a swarm of bugs towards the genin in the trees. They latched on slowly, only a few at first, and began siphoning off the guard's chakra. After a few minutes the genin blinked his eyes tiredly and rubbed his face, trying to stay awake. A few minutes later, as his chakra reserves waned, he passed out completely, never realizing the reason for his sudden fatigue. The genin fell out of the tree as he lost consciousness, but Shino quickly caught him and lowered him safely to the ground. It was a fellow Konoha-nin, after all, no need to let him die.

Sasuke and Sakura slowly and stealthily approached the tents, easily avoiding the simplistic traps that guarded the clearing. Sasuke kept his sharingan activated as he approached, which saved both his life and Sakura's as the sudden flash of chakra from within the tent was the only warning he had.

He dove backwards, tackling Sakura to the ground just before the exploding tag within the tent went off, consuming the tents and engulfing the middle of the clearing in a loud explosion. He yelled in pain as shrapnel peppered his legs and back, but he had Sakura completely covered and they both managed to avoid the worst of the blast.

Sakura shoved him to the side, her kunai blurring as she deflected several kunai that were flying towards them. "Wait! We're Konoha-nin!" she called out, desperately blocking as even more kunai were launched towards her. The onslaught paused for a moment and she could make out cursing from the distance.

Two figures entered the clearing, kunai held warily in front of them. The genin were much older than her own team, maybe seventeen or eighteen by the looks of them. "What the hell are the rookies doing here?" one of them asked.

"You're one of our targets," Sakura said quickly. "We weren't going to kill you, just knock you out and take the marker." She turned towards Sasuke, rolling him onto his stomach and examining the wounds on his back.

"Yeah, that worked out real well for you, didn't it?" the other said snidely. "Why don't you get the hell out of here, we sure as hell aren't going to give you our marker."

"Wait," his teammate said, "what team number are you?"

Sakura hesitated, looking nervous. "It doesn't matter," she answered finally. "I'll just leave, I need to take care of my teammate." Sasuke was beginning to look a little pale, and the amount of blood pouring off his back looked bad.

"You're team seventy, aren't you?" the genin asked, ignoring Sakura's concern.

"No we're not!" Sakura replied, too quickly.

The older genin smirked. "Either way, you might as well leave your marker with us. It's not going to do you any good, since you won't be getting ours. You can look after your teammate after that."

The two genin began to advance on Sakura and Sasuke, but suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. "What the-" one said thickly, the words coming out slowly and slurred. His eyes widened as he saw the rookies' forms dissolve into cherry petals before he lost consciousness entirely.

"Good work, Sakura," Sasuke said quietly, wincing slightly.

"It wasn't that hard," she said dismissively, "their kawarimi may be fast but they gave their positions away before they even launched the first kunai. Hitting them before they could attack was easy compared to what Kurenai-sensei makes us do. Now hold still, I need to get this shrapnel out before I seal up the wounds."

"Ow!"

"Quit whining!"

"You could be a little more appreciative, you know," Sasuke complained. "I _did _protect you from an exploding tag."

"And I am properly impressed with your chivalrous impulses, even if you did interrupt my kawarimi."

"... oh. Sorry," he said quietly.

Sakura voice softened as she continued her work. "I really do appreciate it, but you need to trust us to take care of ourselves a little more. You don't have to do everything yourself."

"Sakura-san is correct, Sasuke-san," Shino said quietly as he searched through the other team's belonging for their marker. "You need to have more trust in your teammates, not only for our sakes but for your own as well."

"... I'm trying," Sasuke said, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

* * *

-Same Day-

-10:00 PM-

-Sarutobi Compound-

The cloud of smoke cleared to reveal the Monkey King Enma, who slowly straightened from his crouch as he realized he was in Sarutobi's personal office.

"Hiruzen?" he asked curiously. "You seem to be summoning me quite often these days." He paused to take in his old friend's appearance, his fur-covered face crinkling in concern. Sarutobi's eyes had dark shadows under them, and his face looked tired. He was currently sitting at his desk, which had files spread across it haphazardly; Naruto's picture featured prominently in most of them.

"Unfortunately this isn't a friendly chat, Enma. I need to ask you some questions."

"Of course, old friend."

"What do you know about the Nine-tailed beast?"

Enma's face saddened and he shook his head slowly. "I can't answer that question."

"Dammit!" Sarutobi roared, slamming his fist onto the table. "Why not?"

"I can't answer that question."

Sarutobi growled softly but he reined in his emotions and called on his long experience as both a ninja and Hokage to help him pull what information he could from the Monkey King.

"Alright, fine. You are not allowed to answer questions on certain matters. Can you answer questions about whether topics touch on those matters?"

Enma paused, thinking deeply. "To a certain extent," he finally replied.

"Are you allowed to answer any questions related to the tailed beasts?"

"No."

"Do you withhold this information of your own volition?"

"No."

"Is there some form of penalty assessed to you or your tribe should you answer such questions?"

"... yes."

"Is there a contract or treaty that outlines your limitations and the penalties for crossing them?"

"I can't answer that question."

"That would be a yes, then," the Hokage said smugly. Enma smiled slightly, nodding respectfully at Sarutobi even as he repeated his non-answer.

Sarutobi sat back, thinking about how to phrase his next questions. They hadn't yet approached the real purpose for this discussion, but he needed to establish as much context as he could.

"What do you know about the Death God?"

"I can't answer that question."

Sarutobi blinked. He hadn't actually expected that response. "The Death God is involved in the contract? No, never mind, you can't answer," he said bitterly.

"What do you know about the practice of sealing tailed beasts into human beings?" he asked next.

"Ninja first attempted sealing roughly one hundred and fifteen years ago," Enma began.

"That's enough, you can answer that question. Hmm... where did the idea for the summoning contracts come from?"

"I can't answer that question."

"Why is the knowledge that the summon tribes live in a separate realm from the human realm hidden?"

"I can't answer that question."

"How did the summons make contact with the human realm before the contracts were created?"

"I can't answer that question."

"When was the first time any summons made contact with a human being?"

"... roughly three thousand four hundred years ago," Enma replied, happy to have a question he could finally answer.

Sarutobi's eyes widened. That went well beyond any recorded history he had ever seen.

"You're that old?" he asked, stunned.

"I am not. Neither myself nor my tribe were the first to make contact, but the tribes exchange information and we know a great deal about the activities of the others."

Sarutobi nodded, fascinated. The scholar in him clamored to ask Enma questions about the history of humanity, but he forced it down to focus on the matter at hand; he could sate his curiosity another time.

"How did you, or this other tribe, enter the human realm at that time?"

Enma sighed. "I can't answer that question."

"Hmm... so the knowledge of how to travel the realms is tied into this mysterious contract or treaty and the tailed beasts. And the Death God is involved somehow...," Sarutobi mused quietly. "Ah, does the summoning contract contain any information related to the reason you are unable to answer my questions?"

It took Enma nearly a minute of deep thought, but he finally replied, "Not directly."

"Something separate from the contracts we signed, then... are there realms other than the human realm and the summon realm?"

"I can't answer that question."

"Of course not," Sarutobi sighed. He wanted to ask other questions, but the one question he was afraid to ask burned deeply in his mind and he decided to finally move the conversation on towards the real purpose for this visit.

"What do you know about Gaara, the jinchuuriki of the One-tailed beast?" he asked.

Enma's face grew grim as he replied, "To the best of my knowledge, Gaara is a genin from Suna, the third-born child of that village's leader. Due to the nature of his seal he has never slept and suffers from what you humans refer to as 'mental problems'. His team recently contacted you for assistance in dealing with his seal, a matter we discussed not so long ago."

Sarutobi nodded slowly. He swallowed thickly and forced himself to speak his next words despite the anxiety that gripped his heart.

"What do you know about Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed beast?"

Enma face could have been carved from stone as he replied, "I can't answer that question."

Sarutobi's head bowed and tears began to flow down his cheeks. "Is Gaara the one-tailed beast?" he asked, his voice thick.

"No."

Sarutobi could barely force the words from his throat. "Is Naruto the nine-tailed beast?"

"I can't answer that question."

Sarutobi was silent for several minutes as his body shook. His hands covered his face but Enma felt uncomfortable witnessing this moment all the same.

The Hokage finally drew in a shuddering breath and wiped his hands over his face. When he finally looked up his face a stone mask, far colder than Enma had ever seen it outside of battle. "Thank you for your time, Enma," he said, his voice even.

Enma just nodded sadly. "Before I go, Hiruzen, please listen to one last piece of advice. The matter I can not speak of is far, far more dangerous than you can ever imagine. Be very careful, old friend."

* * *

-July 17th, 347 NE (Day Two of the Second Phase)-

-7:00 AM-

A loud bark made Team Kurenai tense as they turned their attention to the edge of the clearing. Standing in the open was Team Mikoto, Kiba grinning at them while Akamaru continued to bark happily. Chouji smiled and waved and even Shikamaru managed to move his arm slightly in his own approximation of a greeting.

Team Kurenai didn't relax entirely as they checked for illusions or any signs of a trick.

"Relax guys, sheesh. You aren't one of our targets."

"That's assuming you are who you look like," Sasuke said, his sharingan flaring to life. "... well, it's not a jutsu," he said finally. He smirked for a moment then called out, "Why did I kick Kiba's ass just after we graduated?"

Ignoring Kiba's indignant shout, Shikamaru replied, "Because of the bet he made with the troublesome blond."

Shino turned to Sasuke and asked, "Was your sharingan not sufficient to confirm their identity?"

"It was, I just can't pass up an opportunity to make fun of Kiba," Sasuke said quietly. Sakura coughed suspiciously as she covered her mouth and turned away from Team Mikoto, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I heard that, asshole!" Kiba yelled, stalking into the clearing.

"So what are you guys here for? I assume you aren't here just to chat," Sakura said, interrupting Kiba's advance.

"Nope," Shikamaru said, lazily strolling into the clearing. "We were tracking our last target when we found them knocked out near the river. Then we found out you guys had made off with their marker."

"Ah... team forty-seven?" Sakura asked, wincing.

"Yep. That's not one of your targets, is it?"

Sakura looked to Shino and Sasuke, who both just shrugged, letting her take the lead on this one. "It's not," she admitted, turning back to Shikamaru, "but we still don't have the last marker we need."

"Ah, bargaining chip. Not a bad idea," Shikamaru said musingly. "How about this, then? We'll help you track down and capture your last marker in exchange for team forty-seven's marker. We've still got thirty-two hours left in the second phase, we should have plenty of time to help you out and still pass."

Sakura looked to her teammates who both nodded in acceptance. "That sounds like a deal," she said. "We'll turn over team forty-seven's marker once you help us find team nine's marker."

Shikamaru froze. "Uh... nine?" he asked.

"Yeah...," Sakura replied.

"The other marker you need is team nine," he said again.

"Yes, it is," Sakura reiterated. "Why?"

"... troublesome..."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

-Tanzaku-gai-

There is a large, very successful casino that operates within the town of Tanzaku-gai known as the Evergreen Palace. This casino has a reputation for impeccable service, attractive employees, high-stakes games, and – most importantly – discretion.

Within this casino there are many different sections, some open to the public, some restricted from the public, and some the public doesn't even know exist. In one of these unknown sections there is a private meeting room, reserved for a certain type of client who might encounter problems of the legal kind if they were to show their face in public.

This room was currently occupied by three people. The first was Jiro Sawada, a man of medium height and weight dressed in an expensive and ostentatious suit. His brown hair was slicked back and his face was kept clean-shaven. His face wasn't exactly handsome, but his square jaw and tanned skin suited him well.

The other two occupants of the room were both tall, though no other physical features were discernible. Both were covered in black cloaks and masks that hid all of their features from view. The only remarkable trait about them was the sword one carried strapped across their back. Judging by the scabbard, the curved blade was nearly four feet long and the hilt added another foot to that length.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Sword-sama," Jiro said.

"You paid us very well simply to show up at all," Sword replied. Sword's voice was distorted heavily and masked the gender or even age of its owner, though it was still understandable. "I hope for your sake this isn't a trap. It would not go well for you."

"Of course not!" Jiro protested nervously. "My clients simply understand how valuable your time is and wished to demonstrate how serious they were."

"A million ryo is certainly serious," the other figure replied, their voice similarly distorted.

"Indeed it is, Hammer-sama. I hope you will keep that in mind as we discuss the particulars of the mission."

"We haven't accepted yet," Sword replied, amusement clear despite the distortion.

"Of course," Jiro said smoothly, his voice more certain now that the conversation was returning to the familiar realm of negotiations. "However, I think you will find the payment to be more than generous for the mission that my clients are requesting."

"... we're listening," Sword replied finally.

"Thank you, Sword-sama. As I'm sure you are aware, the Chuunin Exams are being held in Konoha this year, with the Third Phase scheduled to begin on August First. My clients have discovered certain... information that indicates the event will be disrupted and security will be quite distracted dealing with it. They wish you to take advantage of this situation in order to obtain something for them. Or should I say, some_one._"

"You think something is going to happen in Konoha?"

"Oh no, my clients are quite certain of their knowledge. Should they be mistaken, you may of course call off the mission with no penalties of any kind, though you will of course not receive any payment either."

"What is the nature of this... 'disruption'?"

"My clients did not specify, nor did I ask. Safer for everyone that way."

"Where will security be focused? The Fire Lord himself will be in attendance, and quite a few members of his court as well. If this mission has anything to do with them, the disruption might make things worse, not better."

"The target is not related the the Fire Lord or his court in any fashion, so do not worry about that. Even I wouldn't dare touch something like that."

"Who is the target then?"

"Technically there are multiple targets you can choose from, and my clients are willing to pay five million ryo, _each, _if they are delivered alive and reasonably unharmed. The clients indicated that only one target should be offered per freelancer, but since you are a duo you may select two."

"Fine, _targets," _Hammer said impatiently.

Jiro reached for the briefcase at his hand, making sure to keep his hands visible and moving slowly. He pulled out five folders, flipping through them quickly to confirm their contents before placing them one at a time on the table.

"Hyuuga, Hinata; Hyuuga, Hanabi; Uchiha, Sasuke; Uchiha, Satomi; Uchiha, Katsune," he said as he placed each one on the table. "Each of these are worth five million ryo." He reached into his briefcase again, pulling out two more folders.

"There's _more?_" Sword said incredulously. "Konoha would go to war over those five alone."

"Indeed, the Kumo Incident demonstrated quite clearly how Konoha will react when its children are threatened. Nonetheless my clients believe that this will be an unparalleled opportunity to acquire the byakugan or the sharingan and are willing to take the risk."

"What are the other two folders, then?" Hammer asked.

"Ah, well, these... are special. I am making these available to you because of your impeccable reputation in our line of work. Never failing a mission makes people take notice.

"Whereas the other five are worth five million ryo each, these two are worth considerably more," Jiro said dramatically, flourishing the folders. "The first is worth twenty-five million by itself, while the second is worth one hundred million ryo."

Sword and Hammer both stiffened visibly, causing Jiro to smirk.

"Yes," he said smoothly, "a considerable amount of money indeed." He flipped through the folders quickly, then laid them on the table, keeping them separate from the others. "I understand the value of the bloodlines, but I personally can't claim to understand why these two would be so valuable. Nonetheless, my clients wish to make the offer and I will facilitate it to the best of my abilities."

He flipped open the first file. "Mitarashi, Anko," he said. Sword and Hammer exchanged confused glances. "Yes, I don't understand it either. A tokubetsu jounin with no bloodline or special skills beyond the ability to summon snakes, and she doesn't even possess the contract."

"This one makes just as little sense," he said, flipping open the second file. "Yamanaka, Naruto." He heard the creak of a chair and the rustle of cloth and glanced up from the file quickly. Hammer had a hand on Sword's shoulder, but he couldn't see anything else amiss.

Shrugging slightly, he continued, "Hailed as one of the rising stars of Konoha, he was adopted by the Yamanaka clan head sometime between the age of four and five. There are rumors that he is actually the bastard child of the clan head himself, or perhaps another member of the Yamanaka clan, though no one can prove it. The information we have available shows no evidence of a bloodline, Yamanaka or otherwise."

"Feel free to peruse the information as you see fit. Just keep in mind that you may only select two; the others will be offered to other freelancers and you will not be paid even should you return with the other targets. We like to keep things... _organized_."

Hammer shared a brief glance with Sword before replying, "We'll take Mitarashi and Yamanaka."

"Excellent!" Jiro said, removing the other files from the table. "You may keep those files for your own use. Now that our business is concluded, I would like to remind you that we have reserved a pair of rooms for your use for the night. This private room is yours to use as you see fit for the remainder of the evening, and all food and drinks are, as always, complimentary for our clients. You will also find private gambling rooms should you wish to put your money to good use."

With that, he gathered up his briefcase and left the room, smiling and bowing as he closed the door behind him.

"Why didn't you let me at him?" hissed Kushina, throwing off Tsunade's hand. Tsunade motioned her to silence and pulled out a few seals from under her cloak, slapping them down on the floor in a rough square and activating them to form a privacy barrier. The room they were in supposedly had privacy tags built in, and while she admitted that was likely she also had no doubt their business partners had ways to get around them should they want to. Once she had finished her work she turned back to Kushina.

"Because he most likely doesn't actually know who these 'clients' are, or even how many there are. And also because I'd rather not have to worry about the Eastern Dragons coming after us – we aren't the only 'freelancers' they employ and they can be incredibly vindictive when someone crosses them."

"Someone is trying to kidnap Naruto!" Kushina snapped, beginning to pace about the room angrily.

"Yes, _we are._ And if someone else should try anyway, we know both where and when the attempt will happen."

Kushina slowly calmed and nodded.

"What concerns me," Tsunade continued, "is this 'disruption' during the exams. The only thing that would allow someone to get away with kidnapping Hyuuga and Uchiha children would be a disaster on the scale of the tailed beast's attack... and I'm not sure even that would stop them from tracking Naruto down. These clients must know he's a jinchuuriki; nothing else justifies that amount of money. Which means whoever is doing this either thinks they can get away with it or doesn't care; neither option is a good one."

"Why should I care what happens to Konoha?" Kushina asked bitterly.

Tsunade sighed. "Because something that bad could threaten Naruto's life. Or Shizune's. Or anyone else we happen to still care about. And don't forget that Naruto has a lot of friends in Konoha; losing some of them in an attack we knew about and did nothing to prevent would not make him think well of us."

Kushina's head rocked backed as if she'd been physically slapped. She paced around the room for a few minutes before she nodded slowly. "For Naruto. Alright. How are we going to warn them?"

Tsunade relaxed. "Just... leave that one to me. With any luck we may be able to turn this to our advantage."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Kuushou's experimentation did have a real purpose and paid off somewhat, though there are still many questions. I'm not holding back anything the characters know themselves, so hopefully that works better than the "fake tension" approach.**

**Kushina and Tsunade finally rejoin the main story, if at a somewhat oblique angle. **

**Enma's responses were walking a very, _very _fine line, but nothing he said violates this ever-so-mysterious treaty. **

**Sarutobi finally has a pretty solid idea of what's going on with 'Naruto', and part of the reason for the Summons reluctance is revealed. Everything Jiraiya and Sarutobi talked about way back when is now in the open, except for the precise nature of the offer the Toad's made to Jiraiya. That's a biggie, and I'm saving that for the appropriate time - which will almost certainly be after the Chuunin Exams are complete. Feel free to speculate in the meantime.**

**Next chapter will be posted on the 7th. I've got 1.5 chapters in buffer now, so I think I can sustain the two chapters a week pace from here on, or at least until November rolls around.**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	25. Moving Forward

-July 17th, 347 NE (Day Two Of The Second Phase)-

-1:00 PM-

-The Forest of Death-

"You sure about this, Shika?" Kiba asked quietly.

"... no," Shikamaru confessed.

"... dude, what the hell?"

"This hinges on my own interpretation of the rules, and the proctor could interpret them differently. What I am sure of is that if this fails, Team Kurenai won't just abandon us."

Kiba grumbled, but nodded in agreement. There was no way Sakura and the others would just leave them out to dry.

Sasuke approached the proctor confidently, three wooden markers held loosely in his hand. He stopped a few feet away from the proctor, who was leaning against the side of the tower near the large wooden doors with a bored expression on his face.

"Markers," the proctor said, holding out his hand.

Sasuke shook his head and held them up in the air. "Here they are," he said.

The proctor scowled. "Nice try genin, now hand them over so I can check them."

"Nothing in the rules says that we have to physically give them to you, and if I'm good enough to fool a chuunin from five feet away, I guess I deserve to pass anyway," Sasuke said, smirking.

The proctor straightened from the wall and slowly approached Sasuke, his face darkening. Sasuke's smirk faltered and his body tensed as he took in the ugly expression on the chuunin's face.

"Listen here, _Uchiha_," the chuunin spat, "I don't care how good you think you are because as far as I'm concerned, you're scum. Just like Fugaku, just like your crazy brother, just like the rest of your traitorous little clan. Now you can hand over those markers and I'll consider letting you pass, or I can fail your worthless ass right now for disobeying a proctor."

Sasuke's entire body was quivering with fury and the only thing that kept him from attacking the proctor were Shino and Sakura's restraining hands. Shino's expression was hidden by his trenchcoat and sunglasses but the loud buzzing of his insects betrayed his agitation. Sakura's face was openly angry and she was returning the proctor's glare with one of her own, though he paid no attention to her.

Shikamaru cursed quietly as he watched the scene. He hadn't counted on the proctor on duty being one of the idiots who harbored a grudge against the Uchiha. This could ruin his plan and end up getting either or both of their teams failed.

The standoff continued for a few tense seconds before a loud, piercing whistle sounded from the doorway to the tower. Anko Mitarashi walked out from the tower, moving in a slow saunter with a sadistic grin fixed on her face. Only those who knew her well would be able to detect the underlying anger in her expression.

"What seems to be the problem here, slave?"

The chuunin's face twisted further before he fixed it back into a neutral expression. "No problem, Mitarashi...-san. This genin was trying to circumvent the rules of the exam by refusing to turn in the markers for inspection. I simply informed him that continued refusal to do so would result in failing the exam."

"Ah... I see," Anko replied slowly. "And you, as a chuunin, can't tell whether they're using a genjutsu or have otherwise faked a marker that's right in front of your face?"

The chuunin's face twisted into a sneer before it quickly returned to its neutral expression. "Of course I-" he started to reply.

"Then you are willfully choosing not to fulfill your mission as assigned to you. You are hereby relieved of duty, and I will be bringing up your actions with the Chuunin Commanders when this phase is complete. Now I _suggest _you get the hell out of here before I decide to discipline you myself," Anko said, her voice harsh. The sadistic leer on her face had deepened and she was fingering her kunai, making it clear just which option she would prefer.

The chuunin's face was turning purple in rage, but he stiffly turned and left in a quick shunshin rather than saying anything further.

Team Kurenai stared at the tokubetsu jounin in shock – it wasn't often they witnessed a ninja get put in their place like that.

Anko moved closer, still fingering her kunai. She leaned in to get a closer look at the markers, her trenchcoat gaping open and her tight mesh bodysuit doing interesting things to her anatomy. Despite themselves all of the genin found their eyes straying, their reactions varying between appreciative and envious. Anko smirked and whirled around as she began sauntering back towards the tower.

"Not bad, brats, not bad. Most teams wouldn't have thought of trying that at all, or would have folded quickly. I would choose your targets more carefully before you take jabs at their pride next time, though. Now tell the idiots in the trees to get over here and present their own markers. I haven't got all day."

* * *

-July 18th, 347 NE (Day Three Of The Second Phase)-

-3:00 AM-

-Inside The Tower-

_Gaara walked down the sand-covered street slowly, taking in the sight of the village as he did so. The citizens of Suna gave him a wide berth, scattering as he approached and talking in quiet, fearful whispers behind his back. Temari and Kankuro were still beside him, however, their presence a soothing constant as he moved through the village._

_He blinked in confusion as he suddenly found the street completely empty. All the people who had been avoiding him before had simply vanished without a trace. He turned to ask Temari what was going on, but found that both his siblings had disappeared as well. He could make out a distant noise that sounded vaguely like shouting and cheering, so he moved in that direction. _

_He saw a large number of people, enough to be the entire population of the village, gathering outside the walls that protected Suna. The crowd still parted as he approached, but their fearful expressions had turned into gloating smirks and smug grins. They laughed quietly to themselves as he passed, sounding happy and pleased._

_As he neared the center of the crowd he could make out a raised platform and saw the Kazekage standing at the front of it. The Kazekage motioned for silence and began to speak even as Gaara drew closer._

"_People of Suna, for too long have we allowed this blight to go unchecked, for too long have we turned a blind eye to the corruption within this very village. That ends today!" he shouted, and the crowd cheered him._

"_It pains me," the Kazekage continued once the noise died down, "it truly pains me that my own family has fallen victim to this... abomination," he declared, causing Gaara to flinch slightly as the Kazekage's gaze focused on him, "but I shall endure and do what I must to protect this village, no matter the cost!"_

_The crowd roared its approval, and the Kazekage stepped back, pulling a long blade from under his robes. As Gaara reached the front of the crowed the rest of the platform became visible and he stopped in shock. Bound and kneeling at the back of the platform were Temari and Kankuro. Both looked like they had been beaten repeatedly, bruises and blood discoloring their features. Their eyes were dull and lifeless as they watched the Kazekage approach. Their heads shifted slightly as they caught sight of Gaara, and their eyes widened._

_The Kazekage raised the sword, pausing dramatically even as the crowds cries reached a fever pitch._

"_It's your fault," Temari choked out quietly, tears pouring down her face. _

"_It's your fault," echoed Kankuro._

_The blade fell._

Gaara screamed as he sat up, his hands stretching out desperately. Sand swirled around him, whipping this way and that in reaction to his distress. He paused, panting, as he took in his surroundings. Endless desert stretched in every direction, the sun beating down upon him heavily. The heat wasn't terrible though; in fact it was oddly mild.

His brow furrowed in confusion. He recognized this, or at least thought he did. He had seen the other jinchuuriki in a place like this, and also that odd ball of chakra – the one-tailed beast, if the other boy was to be believed. Where were Temari and Kankuro? Where was the raised platform and the Kazekage? Where was the crowd of villagers?

Was... was that a _dream?_ Was _that _what people saw when they slept? That wasn't restful, or relaxing, or pleasant, or anything like what people claimed – that was _horrible._

"Ahem," a voice said from behind him.

He jumped to his feet and whipped around, the sand already lashing out to attack whoever had snuck up on him. When the sand approached the other figure, however, it just swirled around him gently before settling to the ground.

"Now is that any way to treat your fellow prisoner?" the figure said. Gaara paused, letting the sand drop back to the ground and studying the figure.

It was like looking in a mirror... almost. While the other person resembled him greatly, there were several small changes. Where Gaara himself had green eyes the other person had golden eyes, and where Gaara had deep red hair the figure had dark blond hair. Their clothing also differed - the other figure was wearing civilian clothing of loose fitting black pants and a white long-sleeved shirt in contrast to his own uniform.

"Who are you?" Gaara asked warily.

"As I said, a fellow prisoner. Surely you can figure it out from there...," the other him said.

Gaara frowned for a moment before his eyes widened. "The one-tailed beast."

"Such a terrible name. I mean, really, 'beast'? You humans have more creative names for your _pets_."

"... I don't understand. You're supposed to be a giant raccoon dog made of sand. Or that mass of energy," he added, remembering what he had seen a few... hours? days? ago.

"Well I could be, if I wanted, but that makes it rather difficult to talk properly."

"You're also supposed to be a creature of malice and hatred who tried to destroy all of humanity."

"And who told you that, I wonder? The same people who just tried to execute your siblings and cheered at their deaths in your dream?"

Gaara nodded slightly, acknowledging the point. "Clearly they are wrong about a great many things."

"Indeed they are. For instance, I have a name; Ryuudo, the Flowing Earth. I'm quite fond of it. My siblings gave it to me, after all."

"Your... siblings?"

"Yes, I have brothers and sisters just as you do. I must say, I'm happy to see that my fellow prisoner understands the importance of family – not sure what I would have done if you didn't."

"Why do you keep referring to me as a prisoner? You are the one trapped in the seal," Gaara pointed out.

"Maybe so, maybe so," Ryuudo said cheerfully, "but _you _are trapped by your status as a jinchuuriki. And we both... suffered," Ryuudo said, his happy tone dropping considerably and a shadow crossing his face, "simply because others did not understand us."

"You did try to destroy the village," Gaara pointed out.

"Again, according to whom? Your village didn't even exist the first time I was sealed, so how exactly did I attempt to destroy them? Not to mention that I was sealed in a completely different part of the world. No, they haven't kept me prisoner out of some sense of justice or as some form of punishment. They wanted my power, pure and simple, and they made you suffer because of it."

Gaara frowned. He thought about refuting the accusation for a moment but pushed aside that reflex. Ryuudo's words felt far more honest and accurate than anything the Kazekage had ever told him. Only Temari and Kankuro – and Baki, he admitted grudgingly – had ever treated him as anything other than the vessel of Ryuudo's power.

"And now, my dear fellow prisoner, the tables have turned. We don't have to suffer any longer, nor are we alone. We have our siblings, and we have each other."

Gaara eyed Ryuudo for a moment, then smiled slightly. "True... I am not the only one who has suffered," he said, remembering the other jinchuuriki's words.

"Exactly!" Ryuudo cried. "And so, my friend, I propose... a jailbreak!"

"You want me to release you?" Gaara asked drily.

"Well... eventually, that is the idea, yes. However, as things stand now I have no idea how to accomplish such a thing without killing you in the process. I have a certain level of sympathy for your plight and given the recently improved conditions I am willing to be patient, for now.

"What I had in mind was helping you fight back against your own jailors. I have a rough idea of what you've gone through, and I can tell you right now that you will never have to endure such treatment again... and neither will your siblings. I'll be honest and say that revenge also features heavily in my plans," Ryuudo added, his grin turning vicious and the sand around his feet churning wildly.

Gaara pondered the idea for a minute. Finally, he replied, "What did you have in mind?"

Ryuudo clapped his hands excitedly. "Well, first, it might be a good idea to have a chat with that other jinchuuriki..."

* * *

-Same Day-

-7:00 AM-

-Inside the Tower-

Gaara slowly came awake, his awareness finally returning to the real world for the first time in days. He felt very strange and disoriented, and he felt like something was missing. It took him nearly a minute of blearily blinking his eyes and adjusting to the light streaming in from the window before he realized that he didn't feel tired.

A smile came unbidden to his face as he focused on that thought. Sleep – blissful, restful sleep. Even that nightmare couldn't dull the joy he felt in this moment. He had slept. He was rested.

It was wonderful.

His thoughts turned to his "fellow prisoner" and he began to wonder if that had actually been real. It could have been another dream, although it felt very different from that nightmare he had experienced just prior to it.

No... if his conversation with Ryuudo wasn't real, then neither was his meeting with the other jinchuuriki, and _that _had actually happened, he was sure.

Allowing his focus to turn outward once again, he heard the sound of soft breathing to his left and looked over. There he saw his sister sitting in a chair, her head resting on her arms on the edge of his bed as she slept.

Even as he looked she began to stir, raising her head slowly and rubbing at her eyes. She froze when she caught sight of him looking at her, a small smile on his face. They stayed like that for a while, just watching each other, before tears began to well in Temari's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Gaara said. He wanted to say more, apologize for all the times he had rejected their concern and advice, all the times he had threatened to kill them, all the times he had failed to be the brother they deserved – but Temari had pulled him into a hug and was holding him tightly, tight enough that it was actually difficult to breathe.

His eyes widened in panic as he thought about the sand that had always protected lashing out and hurting her, but his sand didn't so much as twitch. He could feel it, the connection clearer and stronger than ever, but there was no instinctive reaction when Temari got close to him.

He wasn't certain if the automatic defense he had come to rely on had vanished completely, but as he hesitantly began to return the hug he thought that even if it had, it was worth it.

* * *

-Same Day-

-3:30 PM-

-Inside The Tower, Arena-

The arena inside the tower was commonly used for a portion of the jounin trials that were held each year as its location guaranteed privacy; most jounin had at least one technique they would prefer to keep as unknown as possible and holding the exams in this remote location helped make sure of that.

The arena itself was a large, rectangular area several hundred feet across. Large, thick stone walls surrounded the arena, interrupted on one side by a single staircase that led to the balcony surrounding the entire arena and on the other by a large statue of a pair of hands forming the "ram" symbol, the most common handsign used to channel pure chakra. The floor in front of the statue was raised slightly and the wall behind the statue was occupied by an enormous screen.

Eighteen genin representing six teams from three different villages were lined up on the floor of the arena, standing stiffly at attention as they watched Anko pace back and forth in front of them, muttering to herself and constantly checking her watch.

The other proctors and the jounin instructors of the various teams were spread out on the raised area of the floor, waiting just as impatiently as Anko, though they hid their agitation better. Just before the end of the second phase officially arrived the Hokage himself stepped into the room and made his way to stand behind Anko. His gaze swept over the genin assembled in the room, all of whom stiffened slightly as his gaze focused on them. Regardless of whether they were from Konoha or not, they felt a little intimidated knowing they were being judged by one of the most powerful and accomplished ninja to have ever lived. The Hokage's gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment longer than the others, but the Hokage's expression didn't change and he quickly moved on.

"And that's time," declared Anko to the gathered genin. "Congratulations on passing the second phase of the exams. I must say that I didn't actually expect this many teams to pass the second phase, but that just means the spectators get a better show come the third phase.

"This also ends my part in the proceedings, so I will turn the floor over to Hokage-sama, who would like to say a few words," Anko said, her tone sounding respectful and serious for the first time since she first appeared before the genin.

The Hokage smiled at her and stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "I also extend my congratulations to all those teams who managed to pass the second phase of the exams. Overcoming the challenges, both human and otherwise, this forest contains is an impressive achievement for a genin and speaks well of your potential.

"The International Chuunin Exams were started nearly fifty years ago as part of a treaty between the Five Great Ninja Villages. These exams are intended to allow ninja from each village to interact with each other without the threat of an official mission or a war hanging over their heads. There is, of course, competition, but don't dismiss the opportunity to talk with ninja from another village out of hand.

"Any ninja worthy of the name will of course strive to gather all the information they can, but don't forget that your opponents have their own hopes and dreams, their own failings and fears. As you learn about their techniques, learn about _them _as well. You may find that today's rivals are tomorrow's allies, and no jutsu in the world can overcome the power of friends and allies working together towards a single purpose. Such is the Will of Fire." The Hokage's eyes lingered on Naruto for a long moment.

The Konoha ninja stood a little straighter, smiles growing on their faces and determination burning in their eyes. The Oto team did not react at all while the Suna team looked oddly hopeful at his words.

The Hokage just smiled slightly, watching the genin before he stepped back and motioned for a jounin to step forward.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," the jounin said. He was wearing the standard jounin uniform and had his headband's cloth unfolded to cover his entire head, his brown hair sticking out of the bottom with one large shock of hair falling between his eyes. His exposed skin was a healthy tan and he moved gracefully, with smooth steps and a relaxed stance. His hands were currently occupied with carrying a small box.

"I am Hayate Gekkou, the proctor for the third phase of the exams. As Mitarashi-san said, an unusually high number of teams passed the second phase. While it was technically possible for a total of eight teams to pass the exam, we expected four at most. Instead we have six teams, which is too many for the third phase. As such, we will be having two preliminary bouts to determine which teams will advance to the third phase.

"Each team will draw a ball from within this box in the order they reached the tower, so will Team Thirty please send a representative forward."

Kankuro walked up and pulled out a ball, holding it up to the proctor. "Six," he said.

"Team Thirty gets a bye and will advance to the third round," Hayate announced, a chuunin behind him recording the results.

"Will Team Seventy-Two please send a representative forward?"

Lee charged up to the proctor practically quivering with excitement. "Yosh! I have picked number three!" he cried excitedly. Tenten sighed quietly, shaking her head. "It's just a number, Lee...," she said under her breath.

"Ah... thank you, genin," Hayate said. "Team Seventy-Two will participate in the preliminary bouts."

Lee darted back to his place among the genin, looking excited at the chance to fight.

"Will Team Seventy-One please send a representative forward?"

Ino walked up and pulled a number out of the box. "Two," she said.

"Team Seventy-One will participate in the preliminary bouts."

"Tch," Ino grumbled under her breath as she walked back.

"Will Team Seventy please send a representative forward?"

"Four," Sasuke said, showing the ball to the proctor.

"Team Seventy will participate in the preliminary bouts, facing Team Seventy-Two."

Sasuke grimaced, exchanging worried glances with his teammates as he moved back to his spot.

"Will Team Seventy-Three please send a representative forward?"

Chouji ambled up to the box and pulled out the ball labeled with the number "One."

"Team Seventy-Three will participate in the preliminary bouts, facing Team Seventy-One. As the last remaining team, Team Fifty-Nine from Oto gets a bye and will advance to the third phase."

The Konoha teams turned to look at the Oto team warily. They had finished nineteenth in the first phase, not a particularly impressive showing, and they had only managed to finish the second phase with less than an hour to spare. They _seemed _weak, but they carried themselves with confidence and didn't seem concerned about their supposed struggles in the exam.

The three genin on the team also hadn't spoken a single word to anyone, preferring to keep to themselves and spend their time idly observing their surroundings. The first genin stood barely over five feet, his gray hair hanging limply on his head and covering most of his face, leaving a single eye exposed. The second stood a couple of inches taller, his black hair pulled back into a style similar to Shikamaru's. The last stood nearly six feet tall and was nearly bald, with small tufts of orange hair all that remained on his head. He was also somewhat overweight but still had clearly visible muscles covering his frame.

"Will everyone except for teams Seventy-One and Seventy-Three please move to the balcony," Hayate said, prompting the other teams to vacate the area. Once the arena was clear, he turned to the remaining teams. "To keep things manageable we will have one-on-one fights for the preliminaries in a best two-out-of-three format. Each team may consult amongst themselves to determine the order of their battles, but each genin may only fight once. If a team manages to win the first two battles, the third member of the team will not be required to fight.

"As with the second phase, killing is allowed but is frowned upon, especially amongst allies. If you kill a downed opponent or kill someone outside of an official bout, you will be arrested for murder.

"Now, you have five minutes to consult with your team and prepare. You may consult with your jounin-sensei as well, if you wish."

Team Mikoto moved to the right side of the arena while Team Kakashi moved to the left.

* * *

Kakashi joined his team after a few seconds. "Alright, what are you guys going to do?"

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, eying his teammates. "I think Hinata should go first, and Ino second," he said quietly.

Kakashi smiled, "I see you have faith in your teammates, as you should. Still, shouldn't you try to adjust your order based on who you think will fight first and second from the other team?"

Ino scoffed. "It's Shikamaru, he's probably going to change his team's lineup fifteen times in the next five minutes to try and outguess us. Hinata can take any of them, and so can I. Naruto can just sit on the sidelines and watch us kick ass."

Hinata blushed slightly but nodded. "I want to go first," she added quietly. "I feel like I didn't do much during the first two phases..."

Naruto and Ino both shot her incredulous looks. "'Didn't do much'?" Ino repeated. "You practically carried our team through both exams. If anyone didn't do much it's little brother over here – he just acted like an idiot as a distraction."

"Yeah," Naruto added, shooting Ino an annoyed glance. "You guided us where we needed to go, kept other teams from sneaking up on us, and took down two people on that Taki team by yourself. If anyone should feel bad, it's Ino over here – she just talked the whole time," he said teasingly.

Hinata giggled quietly and nodded, relaxing. Kakashi just kept smiling, happily watching his team as they supported each other and bantered playfully.

* * *

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru kept repeating, glancing at Team Kakashi.

"Dude, chill out. We can take them," Kiba said confidently. Chouji just frowned uncertainly and rubbed his arms, remembering the many times Hinata had disabled him with her Jyuuken strikes.

Mikoto decided to step in at this point. "I know you've faced them in your training sessions, but remember that you've grown a great deal since then. You don't know everything they can do, but they also don't know everything you can do. They're also likely to underestimate you, so be ready to take advantage of that," she pointed out.

Shikamaru sighed and focused. "Alright, I've got a few ideas for how we can win this."

* * *

"Your five minutes are up," announced Hayate. "Each team must now inform me of their order of fighters." Once each team had quietly told him their order, he moved back to the center of the arena. "Will Hinata Hyuuga of Team Seventy-One and Chouji Akimichi of Team Seventy-Three please enter the arena?"

Hinata stepped into the arena, moving confidently to stand next to the proctor. Team Mikoto sent Chouji, who grimaced upon hearing who his opponent was but exchanged a firm nod with Shikamaru.

Hinata stopped near the middle of the arena, roughly twenty feet from Chouji and fell into a ready stance, waiting for the proctor to signal the beginning of the fight. Chouji settled into his own stance, eying her warily.

"Very well," Hayate said, "the first battle of the preliminaries is between Hinata Hyuuga of Konoha and Chouji Akimichi of Konoha. Begin!" With that, he leapt back to give the fighters room.

Hinata immediately burst forward, the veins around her eyes bulging as she activated her byakugan and her hands beginning to glow a faint blue as she gathered chakra. She halted her advance and leapt to the side as Chouji punched downward, hammering the ground beneath his feet and shattering the stone tile. Hinata could see the shimmer of chakra as Chouji released some sort of jutsu that caused some of the shattered tiles to blast outwards, whipping through the air where she stood a moment ago.

She began to circle him and watched warily, trying to determine if that was the extent of his new jutsu. Chouji continued to pound the tiles beneath him, shifting his position between each blow and leaving a trail of rubble behind him. Hinata maintained her distance and easily avoided the projectiles he sent her way. Her eyes narrowed as she saw some of the tiles were sticking to his arms - it seemed like simple debris at first, but upon closer inspection she could make out the chakra he was using to keep the pieces of tile attached to his arms. It seemed he was trying to create some sort of armor out of the tiles.

Watching carefully for a trap of some sort, she timed his attacks then charged forward, her hands poised to deliver Jyuuken strikes and disable Chouji before he could add any more tiles to his arms. Chouji saw her advancing once again and abandoned his current strategy, leapng backwards and landing in the middle of the damaged area. He knelt swiftly and began gathering up pieces of shattered tile and slapping them on his arms, filling in any open spots as best he could before she got too close.

Hinata didn't particularly want to charge into that area; the damaged tiles would interfere with her footing and limit her movements and thus the effectiveness of her particular style of battle. Chouji himself focused on power more than speed and did not move around nearly as much as Hinata did, giving him the advantage in that area of the arena. She couldn't let him continue his attack or building his armor, however.

She paused just outside the damaged area, swiftly considering her next move. From her current position she could still close with him faster than he could resume smashing the floor - she had already memorized the pattern his chakra made when he was going to use that technique and was prepared to react instantly - but Chouji was also free to continue slapping on the already broken pieces of tile. She could maintain her position and let Chouji tire himself out maintaining his "armor", but to gain an advantage in terms of chakra she would need to deactivate her byakugan and thus might miss any traps he laid. No, delaying her attack had already allowed him to gain an advantage, giving him more time would be a mistake. Her best option was to force him out of the damaged area.

Thus decided, she moved forward once more, moving swiftly and gracefully between the areas of undamaged tile she could find. Chouji settled himself into a defensive stance and watched her approach warily, ready to counter as best he could.

Once she was in range, her hands began blurring as she struck repeatedly, the first two fingers of each hand extended. Chouji shifted his arms rapidly, barely keeping up with the assault – but it was enough. The chakra emitted from her fingers did not penetrate through the tiles enough to reach his tenketsu and close them. Chouji visibly gained confidence as he continued to withstand her assault until he finally punched forward in a counterattack, nearly catching Hinata as she dodged.

She bent around his arm, her fingers lancing towards his upper arm which was not covered as well as his forearms. She managed to score two hits, each closing a tenketsu, but Chouji pulled his arm back and pivoted, forcing Hinata to jump back to avoid his strike. She landed awkwardly and off-balance as the broken tile shifted under her feet, and Chouji rushed forward, his arm raised and ready to strike.

Hinata grimaced as her ankle twisted harshly, but she managed to reposition herself quickly and, instead of leaping backwards or to the side as he expected, launched herself straight towards Chouji. His eyes widened and he tried to pull his arm back to block, but it was already too late.

Her hands blurred and left small blue trails in the air as she rapidly closed the tenketsu throughout his upper body. She struck at his arms first, disabling them and buying herself additional time as she moved on to the tenketsu in his torso. After a few seconds she moved away, panting lightly from exertion and already feeling her ankle start to swell. Chouji wavered slightly as the tiles attached to his arms fell away, clattering to the floor. He finally dropped to his knees and fell onto his side, his breathing labored.

Chouji's body twitched a few times as he struggled to move before he finally relented and called out, "I give up."

Hayate nodded and stepped forward, "Winner, Hinata Hyuuga of Konoha!"

Hinata blushed slightly as the sound of cheering and clapping drifted down from the balcony, especially the sounds of her teammates. She moved over next to Chouji, limping slightly, and began unsealing his tenketsu.

"I thought I had you that time," he said ruefully.

Hinata nodded and replied, "Using the tiles and damaging the floor was very good," she complimented him. "You forced me to fight on your terms."

"Still wasn't enough though," he said, sitting up and rubbing his arms.

Hinata just nodded again, feeling a little uncomfortable. Despite the years she had spent training with the other children, she still felt awkward whenever she defeated someone in a spar. Chouji in particular made her feel guilty, as he had never once managed to defeat her – this bout was actually the closest he'd ever come.

Chouji finally stood and extended his hand. "Good fight," he said. Hinata nodded again and shook his hand before heading back to her teammates, still limping slightly.

Naruto and Ino met her partway, both grinning happily. Naruto's grin always made her feel happy – the way his whole face lit up, the way the marks on his cheeks stretched, the way his eyes danced. She had been a little worried when his pupils began changing into the slits they were now, but despite their more animalistic appearance they still suited him. If anything, they seemed even more expressive than before.

"Good job, Hinata!" Ino said, pulling her into a brief hug. Hinata returned it, smiling, before she suddenly let out a small gasp and blushed. Looking down, she saw Naruto kneeling at her feet, his hands glowing green as he gently held her foot and ankle. He looked up at her, his wide grin making her stomach do flip-flops.

"Trust Hinata to take care of her opponent before looking after her own injuries," he said, his voice gently chiding.

"S-sorry," she replied. She frowned internally, admonishing herself for falling back into her old habit of stuttering. She'd managed to conquer that problem years ago with the help of her mother and her friends, but sometimes Naruto caught her off guard and her shyness would come roaring back.

"Will Ino Yamanaka of Team Seventy-One and Shikamaru Nara of Team Seventy-Three please enter the arena?" Hayate called out.

"Alright you two, that's my cue. My turn to kick some ass," Ino said, moving past them to stand near Hayate. The proctor had changed his position slightly to avoid the area Chouji had busted up in the previous bout. Shikamaru shuffled out slowly, an apathetic expression on his face. Once the two competitors were in place and other genin had left the arena, Hayate nodded.

"The second battle of the preliminaries is between Ino Yamanaka of Konoha and Shikamaru Nara of Konoha. Begin!"

* * *

**A/N: Ye old prelims.**

**My initial plans for the Third Phase called for eight teams, but between the number of people involved and the amount of time I would have to spend writing fights that were completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things it just didn't make sense. Hopefully this compromise works well.**

**Writing these bouts is surprisingly difficult, because in this story all the kids are stronger than they were in canon but there are still some clear differences in skill between them. Allowing Chouji to show off some of his growth while still losing took me a while to get "right". Hopefully my efforts paid off. The fight might still seem a bit short or one-sided, but it's just a really bad matchup for Chouji.  
**

**I also struggled with the perspective in the battle before I decided just to pick one character and use their PoV for the whole thing. Once I did that things went a little more smoothly. **

**Unlike the second phase which was mostly random matchups, I have a definite plan for the battles I want to show in the third phase. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	26. Not Good Enough

-July 18th, 347 NE-

-4:30 PM-

-Inside The Tower, Arena-

"The second battle of the preliminaries is between Ino Yamanaka of Konoha and Shikamaru Nara of Konoha. Begin!"

Ino immediately leapt back to avoid Shikamaru's shadow, which lanced out quickly and nearly caught her anyway. She had to jump back twice more to avoid the shadow before it finally halted, quivering in place for a moment before withdrawing. She let out a shaky breath when she saw it retract – he'd improved his range by several feet since the last time she'd seen him use it, and that was without any supplemental shadows. Still, she knew how far he could extend it now.

"Not gonna be that easy, Shika!" she taunted. "There's no shadows for you to use, and now I know your limit!"

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru said, groaning, "why do I always have to deal with the blonds?"

"Just for that...," Ino growled, pulling out a handful of kunai and flinging them in Shikamaru's direction. He dodged them easily with a minimum of movement, some landing in front of him while others sailed past him a short distance. She smirked to herself and began a series of handsigns – she was going to enjoy this a lot more than she should.

"Lightning Release: Chain Lightning!" she called out, thrusting one hand forward and emitting a burst of electricity. She didn't know this one well enough yet to drop the name or any of the handsigns, so it was a little slow still. She only put a relatively small amount of chakra in the technique – enough to hurt and possibly stun him, but far short of being lethal.

Shikamaru dodged much more quickly this time, but his prior laziness cost him. Though the technique missed initially, it struck the kunai Ino had thrown earlier and arced back and forth, jumping from kunai to kunai and striking Shikamaru who was caught in the middle. She felt a little guilty when she heard his yell of pain, but relaxed when she noticed that the lightning wasn't even burning his skin; she had judged the amount of chakra well, although she probably could have put more in without doing any serious damage.

* * *

"Is she trying to kill him?" Mikoto hissed at Kakashi, her hands clenched.

"Hmm... nope," Kakashi replied from his spot leaning against the railing. "She's barely putting any chakra in that – if anything, she's holding back too much."

"Why does the thought of Ino throwing lightning bolts at people scare me?" Sakura asked quietly as she watched the match.

Sasuke shuddered slightly. "It scares me too," he admitted. "She's already got a temper, she doesn't need anything to make it even worse."

* * *

Ino cut off the chakra flowing into the jutsu and allowed it to dissipate. She waited a few moments, pulling out a few more kunai as she waited to see if Shikamaru would surrender or not. She sighed as she saw him slowly getting to his feet, his limbs twitching spasmodically every now and then.

"... ow," he said, his tone as lazy as it was before.

"You want some more?" Ino called out, annoyed. She hefted the kunai in her hands, but her eyes widened as she saw Shikamaru fling his own kunai towards her and she saw the paper wrapped around the hilt of the weapon. She threw her kunai towards him as she leapt to the side, making sure to keep her distance from Shikamaru – she didn't want to get caught by his shadow because she'd gotten careless.

Instead of the explosion she'd expected she heard a loud poof and smoke filled the area around where the kunai had landed. A dud? Unlikely, since Naruto was probably Shikamaru's source for tags. A smoke tag then. That made her feel a little safer, but Shika was probably planning to use that smoke to extend his shadow.

Sure enough, she could see a tendril of shadow extending from the smoke and began jumping away. Another kunai whipped past her and erupted into another cloud of smoke. She changed course and doubled her speed to gain some extra distance.

She stopped in the middle of the damaged area, well away from the two clouds of smoke that were already slowly dissipating. Shikamaru's shadow lanced out of the second cloud towards her, dipping into one of the damaged tiles before coming out of the other side. She tensed, preparing to move away again, but the shadow came to a stop a solid ten feet away, quivering. She could see Shikamaru himself standing inside the second dissipating cloud, his face set in a grimace as he strained his shadow to its limit. As the cloud faded the shadow began to shrink, pulling back until it barely reached the outer edge of the damaged area.

"Nice try, Shika, but you'll have to do better than that," Ino called out. She'd already used a lightning jutsu and after his painful lesson earlier he wasn't likely to stay anywhere near her kunai if she threw more. Which earth jutsu should she-

Shikamaru was still maintaining the shadow. Shit. She tried to leap away, but her body refused to obey her commands.

"Shadow Possession, success," Shikamaru called out lazily.

* * *

Kakashi whistled lowly. "I hate that Ino got caught, but damn if that isn't impressive. Did they plan that?"

Mikoto smirked. "Your team isn't the only one with good teamwork you know," she replied smugly.

* * *

"That is such bullshit," Ino replied, frowning. "How could you possibly have gotten me from that far away?"

Shikamaru turned his head to the right, Ino's own mirroring his motion. As her vision panned she could see the shadow connected to her own coming out of one of the damaged tiles behind her. From that tile she could see the thin shadows stretching from one damaged tile to the next, leading up to the first tile where she had thought his shadow stopped.

Ino felt her hand dipping into her pouch and pulling out a kunai. Despite all her efforts she couldn't stop the kunai from raising until it hovered near her throat. After a long pause, Hayate entered the arena.

"Winner, Shikamaru Nara of Team Seventy-Three."

Ino felt her arm lower before Shikamaru's shadow detached and she regained control of her body. She grumbled under her breath as she put away the kunai and began gathering up the ones she had thrown earlier. "Good work, lazy ass," she said as he strolled by.

"Thanks," he said, nodding at her. "... did you have to hit me with that lightning jutsu? That _hurt,_" he added.

"Totally your fault for moving as little as possible. Consider it a free lesson," Ino replied, smirking, before she moved to join her teammates on the balcony.

Naruto met her halfway. "Too bad, Ino-nee-chan. If the proctor was being fair you would have won with that first jutsu."

She shrugged, "Maybe, but I could have put more chakra into it without doing any real damage, so the fact that he was still functional was my own fault. I could have used the time he was down more effectively too," she admitted, frowning.

"Well, you didn't want to hurt him too much, so I wouldn't say that you did anything _wrong, _necessarily. Anyway, don't worry about it. I'll take care of Kiba and we'll be on our way to the third phase."

Ino nodded, grinning. "Try not to embarrass him too much – his whining can get annoying."

"I can hear you just fine, you know," Kiba called out from his place next to Hayate. Akamaru barked in agreement from his spot next to Kiba.

Both Naruto and Ino turned to look at him and grinned widely, nodding in unison. "We know," they replied.

Kiba growled in annoyance and began tapping his foot impatiently.

Naruto moved over to join him, nodding to the proctor.

"The third battle of the preliminaries is between Naruto Yamanaka of Konoha and Kiba Inuzuka of Konoha. Begin!"

Kiba immediately pulled out a red pill and tossed it to Akamaru, who bit down on it. After a few moments Akamaru's fur turned to a deep red. He growled, the sound much deeper and more menacing than usual.

Kuushou just smirked. "Taking this seriously, I see."

"I'm going to win this!" Kiba shouted, his face set in a scowl. "Me and Akamaru have been training hard so we could take you down!"

"I'm touched, really," Kuushou said, holding a hand over his heart. Internally he was considering how best to approach this fight. There was no question he would win, but should he go for a physical confrontation? Ninjutsu? Use his medical knowledge to disable Kiba? Pull out some of his binding seals for a quick win?

Kuushou's time trapped in this body had taught him the value of keeping his abilities hidden. Kakashi and the other ninja thought his ninjutsu range was limited to roughly twelve feet at the moment, for instance, when in reality it was closer to twenty. A stray thought one day had led to him experimenting with pulling some of his youki back into the seal – carefully and slowly, of course, as he didn't want to lose any of his progress he had built up over the years.

Once he was satisfied that he could send the youki back outside of the seal easily, he began testing his range again and found that how far he could extend his youki was directly related to how much youki he had outside the seal. From there it was a simple matter to begin underplaying his abilities.

* * *

Mikoto frowned slightly as she listened to her genin declare that his entire purpose for training was to defeat Naruto. "I thought I'd gotten him past that," she grumbled.

Sakura shook her head. "No offense Mikoto-san, but I don't think Kiba's ever going to admit he doesn't stand a chance against Naruto. Naruto is also really good at getting him riled up without even really trying."

Shino adjusted his sunglasses as he observed the two genin in the arena. "Kiba's obsession with defeating Naruto is most unreasonable. Naruto has always been the strongest of us and will likely grow only more so in the future. Learning to work with him and training with him is a much more sensible approach."

"Kiba and sense don't always go together," Sasuke said, shaking his head slightly.

* * *

Kiba charged forward, Akamaru right beside him, and began attacking with a series of quick swipes, his fingers curled into claws and reinforced with chakra. He really was taking this seriously, it seemed – if any of his attacks struck they could do serious damage. Akamaru tried to circle behind him, the dog's teeth snapping at his feet and legs.

Kuushou began dodging, his body swaying back and forth and his feet shifting rapidly in a maneuver he had seen Kakashi use against his own team to great effect. The seemingly effortless movement had the dual benefit of keeping his hands free and taunting his opponent. While he dodged he continued to consider his approach; Hinata had used strictly taijutsu and her clan's Jyuuken style while Ino had used a combination of kunai and ninjutsu.

He could use genjutsu, but he wasn't known for that and he wanted to keep that particular skill under wraps – with his youki mixed in his genjutsu were incredibly effective, and his recent experiments with controlling chakra in other people's bodies would only make them more so.

Kuushou rolled forward, allowing Kiba and Akamaru's Fang Passing Fang attack to pass over his head. Given how much skill he had shown in taijutsu already, he might as well stick with that. Besides, he was really getting tired of Kiba always trying the same thing against him and a _lesson _was in order. Thus decided on his course, he waited for Kiba and Akamaru to turn and rush him again, still maintaining their Fang Passing Fang attack.

Kuushou's plans were rudely disrupted when the two cyclones suddenly changed course and moved to either side. His eyes tracked the one on his left and he almost missed the veritable hail of broken tile shards that flew out of the other one. He still managed to react in time, his hands moving quickly as they slapped the tiles out of the air and his body twisting to avoid others. Despite the large amount of projectiles, none of them managed to even scratch him, much less land a solid hit. He was impressed by Kiba's resourcefulness, though – he honestly hadn't noticed that Kiba had been picking up the tiles as he moved about the arena.

* * *

"Not bad," Kakashi observed as he leaned on the railing next to Mikoto. "He knew he wasn't going to land his attacks normally, so he used his normal attack routine as a ruse while he prepared another attack."

Mikoto nodded, frowning slightly. "It didn't work, though."

Kakashi just smiled beneath his mask, pride evident in his voice. "Not bad," he repeated, "but not good enough to take down Naruto."

* * *

Kuushou could actually hear Kiba cursing as none of the shards he had thrown managed to so much as scratch his hands. Kiba redoubled his speed and ferocity, his attack actually leaving gouges on the tile floor as he maneuvered to make another pass at his opponent. Kuushou just sighed – Kiba had managed to surprise him with that last move, but that seemed to be the end of his ingenuity. Time to end this.

Kuushou waited until both Kiba and Akamaru were in the air before leaping towards Kiba. He easily caught Kiba's hands with his own and jerked his arms wide, turning Kiba's own arms against the rotation of the rest of Kiba's body. A sickening pop and a scream of pain showed that he had managed to dislocate one of Kiba's shoulders. Maintaining his hold on Kiba's arms, he yanked him forward and kneed him in the stomach, landing a solid blow on his solar plexus.

Akamaru was closing in from behind at this point, fangs bared and claws ready to tear into him. Releasing his hold on Kiba, Kuushou twisted his body so that his upper half was parallel to the ground and whipped his leg around, catching Akamaru in the ribs and tossing him several feet to the side where he landed with a loud yelp.

Kiba was incapacitated by the earlier blow, his breath wheezing and his eyes rolling wildly, so Kuushou pulled out a kunai and held it to his neck. Akamaru climbed back on his feet and was ready to charge forward again, but paused when he saw his partner threatened.

"Winner, Naruto Yamanaka of Team Seventy-One!" announced Hayate.

* * *

"... wow," Sakura said, staring at Kiba's crumpled form. "That was... harsh."

"Indeed," Shino said, his kikaichuu buzzing slightly," Naruto-san is not usually so... efficient when battling Kiba. That is also the first time I have seen Kiba's Passing Fang maneuver countered in such a manner."

"It's worse than that," Sasuke said, his sharingan activated and his fists clenched. "He timed his counter _perfectly – _he doesn't have so much as a scratch on him from doing that, and he didn't take _any_ damage from those tiles Kiba threw. Either he's gotten much stronger since we graduated or he's never fought Kiba all out," he growled.

"... crap," Sakura said, thinking about her own team's chances if they had to face him in the finals.

* * *

Kuushou knelt next to Kiba's prone form. He placed one hand on Kiba's shoulder and activated a medical jutsu while the other grabbed the elbow on that side. With a quick shove he forced the shoulder back into its socket – Kiba barely managed a low moan, still too out of it to register what was going on.

Standing up, he dusted his hands off and began heading towards the balcony, letting Chouji and Shikamaru collect their teammate. They waved off the approaching medics and pulled Kiba to his feet, letting him hang off of their shoulders as they followed Naruto to the stairs.

"Team Seventy-One will advance to the finals," Hayate announced. "Team Seventy and Team Seventy-Two will now battle to determine which team will advance. The same rules apply, so you have five minutes to consult with your jounin instructors before informing me of the order in which you will fight."

Once he had heard from each team, Hayate stepped back into the middle of the arena. "Very well, will Lee Rock of Team Seventy-Two and Shino Aburame of Team Seventy please enter the arena."

"Yosh!" Lee cried as he sprinted into the middle of the arena. He came to a stop in front of Hayate but continued to bounce on his feet. "Come, Shino-kun, let us test our flames of youth in this preliminary battle!"

Shino approached at a much more sedate and dignified pace, nodding to Lee and the proctor when he finally arrived.

* * *

"I see, sending Shino in to face Lee... not a bad idea," Kakashi observed.

Kurenai nodded, smiling. "It was pretty much a given that Lee would go first and my team decided that Shino had the best chance to take him on."

Gai shook his head as he moved to stand next to his fellow jounin. "Shino-kun is most youthful indeed, but you are sadly mistaken if you think his kikaichuu will be able to overcome Lee's flames of youth."

Kurenai's smile faltered. "I thought Lee's chakra coils weren't formed properly... wouldn't that mean he has low chakra reserves and thus leave him vulnerable to chakra draining attacks like the Aburame clan techniques?" She asked quietly, wrapping a genjutsu around the three of them to keep their conversation private.

* * *

"The fourth battle of the preliminary round is between Lee Rock of Konoha and Shino Aburame of Konoha. Begin!"

Shino immediately replaced himself with a kikaichuu bunshin and formed a genjutsu around himself to hide his presence, the handsigns for the techniques concealed by the voluminous sleeves of his trenchcoat. Despite the speed of his efforts he was nearly too slow anyway, as Lee charged forward before dropping into a crouch and sending a sweeping kick at Shino while crying out "Konoha Gale!" excitedly.

The bunshin immediately dissolved and the bugs began to latch on to Lee and drain his chakra. Shino relaxed slightly, relieved that his plan was already working. All he needed to do now was buy some time for his bugs to drain Lee's limited chakra reserves and he would win the bout.

His confidence faltered when Lee snapped off two quick kicks, his legs blurring, The sudden forceful motion caused many of the kikaichuu to lose their grasp on Lee and they went flying through the air, scattering. Roughly a quarter of the kikaichuu remained attached to Lee but he seemed unconcerned as he settled into a ready stance and began scanning the arena.

Shino formed another kikaichuu bunshin and had it charge Lee. Lee once again rushed forward and effortlessly dispatched the bunshin. Two more quick kicks and he once again dislodged many of the kikaichuu on his legs, though the overall number still grew.

Shino shifted his position in the arena, moving carefully to avoid detection. The plan was not going quite as smoothly as he had hoped, but it was still effective. Lee seemed unable to detect his presence behind the genjutsu and was making no efforts beyond the initial kicks to remove the kikaichuu from his person. These tactics, while slow, seemed likely to win the match nonetheless.

* * *

"That is a common misconception," Gai said solemnly. "It is not Lee's coils that are malformed, it is his chakra network."

Kurenai's face paled. "Isn't that fatal?"

"Normally, yes," Gai said, his face grave. "However, Lee's case is relatively mild, as it only resulted in roughly two-thirds of his tenketsu not forming correctly and failing to hold chakra properly. Instead, his chakra is constantly leaking from most of his tenketsu and diffusing throughout his body. He will never be able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu, and is most fortunate that he has enough properly formed tenketsu in his feet to perform the tree-walking and water-walking exercises. None of that matters, though, because in taijutsu... one day he will surpass me," Gai finished proudly, his face beaming.

Kakashi's eye widened. "I didn't know that," he admitted. "If his chakra is always leaking throughout his body, then..."

"Indeed, my eternal rival, it is very much like constantly exercising his reserves." Gai replied. "Due to that, he actually has very high chakra reserves, more than any Konoha genin in this exam other than the most youthful Naruto-kun. Shino-kun will never be able to drain enough chakra to diminish Lee's flames of youth."

"... shit," Kurenai muttered.

* * *

Another bunshin was created and dispelled, and two more kicks sent the kikaichuu flying through the air. A portion of them landed on Shino's hidden form, seeming to disappear in midair as they passed through the genjutsu. Lee's eyes suddenly blazed and he launched himself forward, crying "There you are!"

Shino's eyes widened as he tried to block Lee's rapid attacks, but a heavy kick sent him flying to the side and disrupted his illusion. His form revealed, he unleashed all his kikaichuu in a defensive wave in the hopes that it would slow or deter Lee's attack. His efforts were in vain as Lee charged straight through the cloud, seemingly uncaring as many of them latched onto his form and began draining his chakra.

Lee's movements did not seem hindered in the least, and Shino was unable to keep up as a series of heavy punches and kicks rained down on him. His own taijutsu abilities were not poor by any means, but against Lee he might as well have not been trying.

Fortunately, he could tell that Lee was pulling his punches considerably or his bones would be snapping and breaking under the assault. He tried to endure to give his kikaichuu time to work, but his vision was already swimming and he felt unconsciousness approaching. He called off his kikaichuu and raised his arms in the air, signaling his surrender.

Lee, seeing the shift in his stance and feeling the kikaichuu leave his body, halted his attack and stepped back slightly. He remained wary and ready to resume his assault at a moment's notice, however.

"I forfeit," Shino called out, his voice calm despite the damage he had received.

Hayate entered the arena and nodded. "Winner: Lee Rock of Team Seventy-Two!"

Cheering and clapping echoed through the arena as Lee celebrated his victory and ran back up to the balcony to join his teammates.

"Will Tenten Higurashi of Team Seventy-Two and Sakura Haruno of Team Seventy please enter the arena?"

The two girls made their way down to the arena, Tenten looking confident and Sakura looking slightly unnerved. It had been her idea to send Shino against Lee, though her teammates and sensei had agreed with her reasoning. The complete failure of her plan had undermined her confidence about her own chances. It didn't help that she knew she couldn't take Tenten in weapons, either thrown or wielded, or pure taijutsu. She had no idea about the girl's ninjutsu capabilities, though her own weren't exactly impressive. Genjutsu she almost certainly had an advantage in, but...

She stopped across from Tenten and waited for the proctor's announcement. She mentally shook herself and refocused; she hadn't trained so hard and long just to wilt at the first sign of trouble. Her nerves steadied – a little, anyway, – she began reviewing the layered genjutsu she would use against Tenten.

"The fifth battle of the preliminary round is between Tenten Higurashi of Konoha and Sakura Haruno of Konoha. Begin!"

Sakura immediately began running through handsigns but was forced to abandon the genjutsu and dodge as Tenten flung a hail of kunai in her direction. Despite her evasion a few kunai still managed to scratch her. She turned to face Tenten only to find more kunai flying through the air towards her. This pattern continued until Tenten had her backed into a wall.

Rather than throwing more kunai that were almost guaranteed to hit – and where the hell was she pulling all of those from, anyway? She had to have thrown at least fifty of them by now – Tenten opened a scroll and quickly unsealed a staff, twirling it expertly as she closed with Sakura.

Sakura didn't waste her chance, racing through the string of handsigns required for her planned jutsu faster than she ever had in training. She completed the jutsu and launched it when Tenten was roughly a dozen feet away.

The genjutsu was designed in two parts; the outer and easily broken layer would show Sakura morphing into a monster based on Tenten's fears while the second layer would show Sakura launching a rapid series of low-powered earth jutsu that would herd Tenten towards a specific point in the arena. Sakura herself would move to that point and prepare to ambush Tenten while she was still trapped in the genjutsu.

* * *

Kakashi smiled at Kurenai as Sakura executed the genjutsu. "She's rather fast with those, isn't she?"

Kurenai smiled proudly. "Of all my students Sakura has had the most success integrating genjutsu into her battle style."

Gai nodded thoughtfully. "A most youthful display... but it won't be enough."

Kurenai frowned and turned to Gai. "I know you are a taijutsu specialist, but don't underestimate the power of genjutsu."

"That's not what I meant," Gai responded calmly. "I appreciate the power of a well-applied genjutsu and would certainly not disrespect their potential. What I meant was that Sakura's plan will not be sufficient to defeat Tenten."

* * *

Once she felt the genjutsu take hold she rapidly moved away from Tenten. As expected, Tenten first tried to ignore the jutsu and lashed out with her staff, striking the area where Sakura was standing just moments ago. When that failed Tenten focused and flared her chakra, attempting to force all foreign chakra out of her system and thus disrupt the genjutsu. Sakura was tempted to try to take advantage of Tenten's distraction then and there, but swiftly reconsidered as Tenten whipped the staff around her body repeatedly in an attempt to ward off any strikes she couldn't see.

Instead, Sakura watched as Tenten began dodging a series of phantom attacks. Satisfied that the second layer of the genjutsu was working as intended, she began moving into position. Unfortunately her control over the genjutsu wasn't good enough to launch another jutsu without disrupting it.

Kurenai-sensei assured her that as she gained more experience in using genjutsu that weakness would disappear; it wasn't a matter of chakra control so much as conditioning. She had demonstrated some of what was possible by locking her students in three different independent genjutsu while launching a series of ninjutsu shortly thereafter. None of the students had detected so much as a ripple in the genjutsu they were under, nor had they been able to detect the ninjutsu Kurenai was using until after they were released.

She couldn't use another jutsu, but she had her kunai ready once she managed to get close enough to Tenten. All she needed was to hold the blade at her opponent's throat for a second and the battle would be hers.

Sakura frowned when, instead of continuing to dodge as she expected, Tenten leapt high into the air and pulled out a pair of large scrolls. Her eyes widened in panic as she realized what Tenten was about to do and she frantically began another series of handsigns, dropping her hold on the genjutsu. She barely managed to complete the jutsu in time and slammed her hand onto the tiles beneath her feet as Tenten unleashed wave after wave of weapons from within the sealing scrolls.

"Earth Release: Shielding Wall!" she cried desperately. The tile shuddered and for a brief, horrifying moment she thought that she hadn't put enough chakra into the technique. To her immense relief the tile finally cracked and the floor rose up to form a barrier several inches thick in front of her. The clang of metal striking tile and stone echoed throughout the arena as her barrier protected her from Tenten's attack.

The clanging continued for several seconds before it finally trailed off. Sakura tensed and readied her kunai as she prepared to leave the protection of the barrier. Before she had taken more than a single step, however, a blur whipped around the barrier and smashed into her arm, forcing her to drop the kunai and spinning her body slightly. Before she even had a chance to react she felt several more blows land, the blur moving so fast she couldn't even determine what sort of weapon it was. Her world spun crazily and she found herself lying on the ground with her ears ringing and her vision blurry.

"Winner: Tenten Higurashi of Team Seventy-Two!" she heard the proctor call out, and her heart sank.

It took several more seconds before her vision cleared enough to make out Tenten standing above her, a segmented staff poised above her throat. Shame and guilt warred within her as she realized that her failure to win the battle had just cost her team the chance to advance to the finals and possibly earn a promotion to chuunin.

She felt tears burning her eyes but she forced them back as Tenten helped her to her feet. The bun-haired girl had a faintly apologetic look on her face, but she just nodded politely before moving away to join her team.

"How?" Sakura asked suddenly. "How did you know it was a genjutsu?"

Tenten paused and looked back at Sakura. "I didn't," she replied easily, "but either way you would be forced to defend against my attack, and if it _was _a genjutsu then you'd almost certainly lose control of it."

Sakura swallowed thickly and nodded. Tenten eyed her for a moment before resuming her trek to join her teammates. Sakura followed behind her, moving slowly.

"Team Seventy-Two will advance to the finals," Hayate announced. Sakura winced as his voice rang out followed by more clapping and cheering from the spectators. Each step up to the balcony seemed more difficult than the last and she felt like her entire body was covered in lead weights as she reached the top. She turned to walk towards her team and saw Team Gai celebrating, Gai and Lee embracing and shouting while Neji was congratulating Tenten in a much more reserved and dignified fashion, a small smile on his face.

Team Kakashi and Team Mikoto were also clapping, their attention focused on Team Gai for the moment, and Team Kurenai, her team... Shino looked neutral as always even as he nodded respectfully to her; Kurenai-sensei had a sympathetic expression on her face, and Sasuke... Sasuke looked angry and frustrated. She flinched when he looked at her, afraid that he was going to yell at her; all her talk about trusting his teammates and here she lost before he even had the chance to compete at all.

She felt all the old insecurities coming back, the feelings of loneliness and anxiety she had never quite forgotten from that first year in the Academy. For a moment she contemplated just running from the tower altogether, but she forced that aside. Even if her team turned her away, she could at least face it with her head held high; she had done the best she could, even if it hadn't been enough.

"Damn Sakura, was that a _layered _genjutsu?" Ino's voice called out, cutting through the haze that had begun to fill Sakura's mind.

"Indeed it was," Naruto added, "and she did it without calling out the name and took less than two seconds for thirteen handsigns. She's gotten a lot faster since we graduated," he finished, nodding to Sakura respectfully.

Sakura gaped for a moment, her mind still locked in self-loathing and having difficulty understanding just what they were saying. Were... were they complimenting her?

Kurenai-sensei stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You did very well, Sakura," she said, "it was just your misfortune to run up against a more experienced kunoichi. There is nothing to be ashamed of," she added quietly, her last words meant for Sakura's ears alone.

Sakura nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak at the moment. Kurenai led her over to her team as the other genin called out their own compliments and encouragement. Shino just nodded again, his message clear. Sasuke stared at her for a long moment before giving her a nod of his own.

"Good work," he said, and Sakura was startled to find that he actually sounded sincere. "Tenten's had a year longer as a genin and you almost had her anyway," he added. "We'll just have to get stronger for next time."

"_We,"_ he'd said. She took in Shino's calm demeanor and Kurenai-sensei's encouraging smile. Her team wasn't angry with her.

"Yeah," she said, and smiled even as a few tears escaped, "we will."

* * *

"That concludes the preliminaries for the third phase of the exams," Hayate announced. "Teams Thirty, Fifty-Nine, Seventy-One, and Seventy-Two will advance to the finals. Based on the numbers drawn earlier, in the first round of the third phase Team Thirty will face Team Fifty-Nine and then Team Seventy-One will face Team Seventy-Two in the second round. The winners of those respective battles will face each other in the finals.

"I will now explain the format of the third phase. The third phase is a team-based single-elimination tournament. All of you will fight as a team, but if one of your teammates dies or is otherwise eliminated you may still advance as long as your team as a whole wins the round. The tournament will be held in the Konoha Stadium and, unlike the first two phases, you will have an audience of civilians, nobles, and other ninja.

"Since we have four teams this year, the tournament will be spread out over two days. The first two battles will be held on the first day with the finals held on the second day. The winning teams from the first day will be sequestered until the finals on the second day to prevent any outside interference. They will not be allowed to receive any outside help in the form of advice or medical assistance, including from their jounin instructor. Should any participant sustain serious injuries they may withdraw from the tournament in order to receive aid; they personally will not be able to continue, but their team will not otherwise be penalized.

"The arena itself will be divided into three sections. Each section will have a different simulated terrain type and a number of traps or hazards which you must avoid while battling your opponent; the terrain types and traps will be altered between the first and second days. Each section will also have an objective which you must find and take possession of. In order for a team to win they must either defeat all of their opponents or maintain possession of all three objectives for five continuous minutes.

"You will obviously know who the members of the opposing team are, but you must choose which member of your team will enter which section prior to the beginning of the battle, much like we determined battle orders earlier.

"During the course of the battle, if one of you manages to defeat your opponent and gain control of the objective, you will have the option of moving into a different section to reinforce one of your teammates. Should only one genin remain on either team all the barriers preventing travel between the sections will be lowered.

"As with the second phase, killing is allowed but _only_ during the battle. If you kill an opponent outside of the official battle or an opponent who has been declared defeated you will be charged with murder."

Hayate eyed the genin scattered around the balcony for a moment. "Are there any questions?"

Temari coughed loudly as she raised her hand. "Yes… when does the third phase start?"

Hayate flushed slightly in embarrassment as he answered, "August First. The first battle will occur at ten in the morning and the second battle will occur at two in the afternoon. Ah, and for the foreign teams… in keeping with the customs of the International Chuunin Exams, a training ground will be reserved for your exclusive use from now until the third phase begins. You may contact your coordinator for details starting tomorrow.

"Any other questions?"

No one else spoke up.

"You may leave the Forest on your own, with your jounin sensei, or wait for a Konoha escort. Our foreign visitors are reminded that the movement restrictions for the duration of their stay in Konoha still apply; you are to be escorted by an approved jounin at all times whenever you leave your lodgings or your training ground. We thank you for your continued cooperation.

"And with that, you are dismissed."

* * *

**A/N:  
**

**The canon Chuunin Exams never really made sense to me once I started thinking about it. A Chuunin is supposedly required to lead a team, think strategically, do what it takes to complete mission objectives, etc. None of that requires significant battle prowess, yet the Third Phase - the _only _phase where anyone has a chance to get promoted, supposedly - is a one-on-one tournament where it's not only possible but quite likely that teammates would end up facing each other and defeating your opponent in open combat is essentially the only option.**

**In addition, Konoha is supposedly all about teamwork, so it makes even less sense for the exams to be formatted that way. **

**However, in this AU they've had two exams where the team as a whole worked together against other teams. Now they are forced to split up and battle on their own merits, for a time at least. Each member of the team must be able to hold their own to a certain extent, but there's still plenty of room for teamwork and leadership within the framework of the exam. Not to mention that, technically, you could still pass without fighting anyone. And as with everything in the ninja world, what they _don't _tell you is often every bit as important as what they _do_ tell you.**

**Now, a question for those wonderful reviewers among you: I've got various levels of commentary on the fights (Hinata v. Chouji has none while Lee v. Shino has quite a lot), but which works best? Do the bits with Kakashi and Mikoto chatting add to the fight or detract from it? Should I limit the commentary to exposition or do the assessments of the various jounin make the battles more interesting? Which approach do you prefer, or does it matter?**

**This will influence how I write the Third Phase battles, so if you have an opinion on this let me know.**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	27. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

-July 18th, 347 NE-

-6:00 PM-

-Inside The Tower, Arena-

The assembled teams and observers began to slowly exit the arena, some heading back to their rooms and other leaving the tower immediately, but Kuushou moved to intercept the Suna team with the rest of his team and his sensei trailing behind.

"Hey Gaara!" Kuushou called out, smiling. The Suna team paused and turned to look at him. Temari's and Kankuro's eyes widened and their jounin sensei eyed him suspiciously, but Gaara himself just nodded in response, smiling slightly.

"It is good to see you again…," he started, then trailed off.

Kuushou blinked in confusion before he realized he'd never actually told Gaara his name. He laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he smiled widely. "Heh, I never told you my name, did I? I'm Naruto Yamanaka. This is my sister Ino Yamanaka and my good friend and teammate Hinata Hyuuga. Our lazy jounin sensei over there is Kakashi Hatake."

Gaara nodded, looking at each person as they were introduced. When Kuushou stopped speaking he turned to look at his own team for a moment before he turned back to Team Kakashi and replied. "I'm Gaara Sayama. This is my sister Temari, my brother Kankuro, and my jounin sensei Baki Sakamoto."

Gaara's team didn't respond to his introduction, instead staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. The silence stretched for several seconds and Kuushou could sense his own teammates shifting uncomfortably, wondering what was going on. He decided to step in to help ease the tension.

"A pleasure to meet you, Temari-san, Kankuro-san, Sakamoto-jounin," he said, and he heard his teammates adding their own pleasantries.

That finally seemed to pull Temari out of her shock as she turned to look at Kuushou. "You! You were that guy at the gate," she said, just managing to keep her voice from rising to a yell.

"Indeed I was," Kuushou replied, smiling.

"What did you do to Gaara?" she demanded, stepping forward menacingly and putting a hand on her fan. Kuushou merely raised an eyebrow in response even as his teammates tensed.

"Temari," Gaara said quietly as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. He helped me."

She startled and then slowly relaxed, flushing slightly as she realized that Gaara had been talking quite civilly to this boy and apparently viewed him as something of a friend. Since when did Gaara even have friends? Or make introductions, for that matter?

"Sorry," she said as she removed her hand from her fan and stepped back.

"Not at all," Kuushou replied smoothly. "I would do far worse to any who threatened my family." His eyes strayed to meet Gaara's as he spoke, and Gaara nodded silently in response.

"How did you help Gaara?" Kankuro asked, his voice a mix of suspicion and genuine curiosity.

"Due to a certain condition I have in common with Gaara, I was uniquely qualified to assist in the implementation of his new treatment," Kuushou answered. His team and sensei were of course already aware of his status as a jinchuuriki - Kakashi from the very beginning, Hinata once she activated her byakugan, and Ino when she began her training in the Yamanaka jutsu.

Judging from the way Baki's eyes widened he understood the hidden meaning immediately. Temari and Kankuro took a moment longer, as they exchanged a confused glance before turning to look at Gaara. Their faces suddenly paled and they whipped their heads around to look at the blond-haired boy in front of them again as they realized what he had meant.

Kuushou smirked. Technically he wasn't supposed to tell anyone outright without the Hokage's permission, but it certainly wasn't his fault if someone figured it out from a vague reference now was it?

Kakashi sighed and pulled Baki to the side to engage him in a quiet conversation. From what Kuushou could make out – which was most of it – Kakashi was asking Baki to keep that revelation to himself. Kakashi then quickly moved on to giving the slightly edited version of Naruto's life to this point, emphasizing the accepting nature of those "in the know" in regards to his status. He apparently wasn't wasting this opportunity to try to impress the Suna team with the benefits of life in Konoha.

Temari's eyes kept darting back and forth between Kuushou and Gaara, apparently attempting to visually compare the smiling and cheerful blond before them with her quiet, brooding brother. Kankuro took a much more direct – if carefully worded – approach.

"You haven't had any complications in the past, have you? It was difficult to find the proper treatment in Suna."

"Not at all. My family was very supportive and understanding, and many other people in Konoha are sympathetic regarding the nature of my condition. Not to mention that the medication available in Konoha is highly effective – there have been times when I forget I have this condition at all. I think Gaara's new treatment will be similarly successful."

Kankuro cleared his throat several times before he managed to reply. "That's good to know," he said, his voice slightly thick. Temari's expression was varying between anger and joy and she finally looked away to compose herself. Ino and Hinata exchanged glances and nodded before they approached Temari and began talking to her softly.

Kuushou turned his attention back to Gaara, who had been watching the exchange curiously. "So, what do you say we get some dinner and talk, get to know each other a little better?" he offered.

Gaara cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. "What did you have in mind?" he asked finally.

Kuushou's grin widened. "There's this place called Ichiraku's…"

* * *

Sarutobi watched as Naruto – he found it impossible to think of him as anything else, despite what he now believed – finally left the tower with his team and the Suna team in tow. His initial depression that the child he thought he had known had never existed had given way to a deep rage at the thought that the beast who had killed so many of his ninja had tricked the entire village – tricked him! – for so long.

That anger had in turn given way to confusion. Once he began analyzing the situation, nothing really made sense. The beast was clearly intelligent if it could pretend to be a human being for so long – highly intelligent, actually, since Naruto was widely considered to be one of the smartest ninja Konoha had ever produced, on par with the likes of the Nara, Itachi, Minato or even himself.

If it was intelligent, however, what was its goal? Even the most cynical examination of Naruto's actions couldn't find any truly malicious intent; at worst he was gathering allies. He had actually done a great deal to strengthen the next generation of ninja as the driving force behind the "Clan Kids." There were also no indications that he was anything other than a loyal ninja of Konoha, hidden or otherwise. Given how closely Naruto had been watched by ANBU for most of his life, and how much time Inoichi had spent with him in counseling, if there was anything to find they would have found it.

Sarutobi shivered slightly as he thought about the Yamanaka family. If his suspicions were correct, the Yamanakas, Ino especially, would be devastated. For their sake as well as the sake of Konoha, he hoped things weren't as bad as he feared. He hadn't entirely discarded the idea that the tailed beast's mind had been destroyed in the sealing somehow. The Death God had said he couldn't kill the beast or separate its soul, but perhaps he had destroyed whatever part made it evil? His heart longed for this theory to be true even as his mind and instincts told him that it was a fool's hope.

The Summon Tribes clearly _believed_ that Naruto was the nine-tailed beast, and their veiled words and vague warnings hinted that the tailed beasts were more than they appeared. Enma's final warning that the beasts' were _"far more dangerous than you can ever imagine" _sent chills down his spine every time he recalled it. The ninja world believed the beasts' to be immortal engines of hatred and destruction – what could possibly be worse than _that?_

He knew so little about the circumstances surrounding Naruto and found himself at a loss when he tried to make plans in the light of this revelation. The situation had lasted for nearly thirteen years without any damage to Konoha, but he had no idea if that would last. He could ignore this new information and continue as if he'd never had that conversation with Enma, but that path went against everything he was and everything he believed in. He was known as "The Professor" for a reason; information was the greatest weapon in his arsenal.

He sighed and began making his way out of the tower. There was only one place he could get more information at this point, and that was from Naruto himself. Before he could do that, however, he would need to prepare for the worst. If Naruto really was the tailed beast and he'd merely been biding his time since the sealing, it was entirely possible the confrontation could lead to his own death. He had lived long enough that the thought didn't disturb him as it once did, but his duty to Konoha had kept him going before and drove him onward now.

There was much he could and would do to try to take the beast with him if it turned to battle – plans to make, traps to lay, seals and jutsu to prepare. He would make sure to subtly prepare his ANBU and the other ninja under his command for such an eventuality – perhaps under the guise of an emergency drill in preparation for the third phase – but his thoughts quickly turned to the long-term consequences of his death. It seemed it was time to finally make the decision he had delayed for so long.

It was time to choose his successor.

* * *

-July 18th, 347 NE-

-7:00 PM-

-Ichiraku's Ramen Stand-

Ino shook her head in disbelief as she watched Naruto and Gaara sitting at the bar.

"This, Gaara, is the greatest food ever conceived by man," Naruto proclaimed grandiosely as Teuchi placed a bowl before the Suna genin. Gaara's eyes widened in anticipation as he carefully lifted the first bite to his mouth.

He chewed thoughtfully for a moment as everyone in the stand – which included all of Team Kakashi and Team Baki in addition to Teuchi and his daughter Ayame – unconsciously held their breath, waiting for his verdict. He finally swallowed and turned to Naruto.

"It's alright," he said.

Silence reigned for a long moment before Ino burst into laughter, setting off the other occupants of the ramen stand. Teuchi himself looked slightly disappointed – he had probably been hoping for another customer as dedicated as Naruto himself.

Naruto's indignant voice rose above the din. "Alright? _Alright_? How could such perfection possibly be described merely as _alright_?"

Gaara shrugged. "I prefer drier foods," he replied simply.

Naruto huffed indignantly before he turned to Teuchi. "I'll have my usual," he said sullenly.

Teuchi grinned widely as he began preparing a large batch of ramen. Ayame shook her head as she began helping out, giggling softly at the expression on Naruto's face.

Ino turned her attention back to Temari, who was watching the scene with a slightly stunned expression on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Temari shook herself and looked over at Ino. "It's just… he's so different now," she replied softly.

"In a good way, I hope?"

"Yes!" Temari said loudly, momentarily drawing everyone's attention to her. She ignored their lacks as she continued her conversation with Ino, though she did lower her voice. "I mean, yes. He's so much more open and relaxed than he used to be."

Ino eyed Ryuudo's container for a moment, taking in his neutral expression and his reserved mannerisms as he continued eating the bowl of ramen and conversing with Naruto. "If you say so," she said dubiously.

"He's still pretty quiet," Temari allowed, "but he's actually talking to people without- um, getting upset," she finished lamely.

"He wasn't treated very well, was he?" Ino asked softly. "Naruto told me a bit about what Gaara's, ah, _medication _was like."

Temari shook her head, a scowl fixed on her face. "No, he wasn't," she bit off angrily. "Every time I think that _bastard _did this to Gaara on purpose, I…," she trailed off, her face flushing and her fists clenching.

"That bastard?" Ino asked curiously.

Temari blinked and calmed a little. She looked like she was considering whether to answer the question or not, but after glancing at Naruto and Gaara again she replied, "The Kazekage."

"Um… I thought that you and your siblings were-"

"His children, yes, not that he would ever admit it. I don't think of that bastard as my father anymore either."

Ino grimaced and decided to change the topic as she noticed Temari's mood darkening even further. "So… what do you think of Konoha so far?"

Temari continued fuming for a moment before she answered the question. "It's been… much nicer than we expected."

"That's great!" Ino said, happy to have found a more pleasant topic. "I know we'll both be busy preparing for the third phase, but we should try to find time so we can show you guys around Konoha properly, give you the full tour. Naruto and Gaara seem to be hitting it off great too, so it should be a lot of fun."

Temari smiled slightly and nodded. "I would like that."

* * *

-Same Day-

-10:00 PM-

-Sarutobi Compound-

The Hokage sat back in his chair and stared at the two files lying on his desk. He had eliminated most of the ninja from consideration early on due to lack of experience, skill, or dedication to the village. Not that he doubted the loyalty of his ninja, but the personal sacrifices it took to function as Hokage were a step above what most ninja were willing to endure. He'd always had a short list in the back of his head, but unfortunately there was no ninja in the village as clearly qualified as Minato had been.

He picked up the first file, staring at the picture of Kakashi Hatake. He was young, nearly fifteen years younger than the other remaining candidate, but still older than Minato had been and much older than Sarutobi himself had been. He was also widely known outside the borders of Konoha, which would be a boon in attracting attention and dealing with nobles.

His prowess on the battlefield was among the highest in the village and he was every bit as effective in missions that called for subtlety. His standing in the village was high, though some still resented his reputation as a genius and a prodigy. Sarutobi could sympathize, as there had been quite a few people who resented his own rapid growth when he was young. It would be a problem, but hardly an insurmountable one.

Kakashi's political experience was lacking, though – his time in ANBU had served to boost his skills considerably, but nearly all his leadership experience was limited to highly trained and dedicated ANBU teams. He rarely worked with non-ninja, but that could be remedied. He would have some misgivings about handing over the title to Kakashi immediately, but overall he was confident that Kakashi could grow into the role and serve Konoha well.

He moved on to the second file, smirking at the lazy expression on Shikaku Nara's face in the picture. Unlike with Kakashi, he had no doubts about the ability of his Jounin Commander to handle the political and administrative portions of the job; and those were, admittedly, the majority of the burdens involved. His incredible work as Jounin Commander had helped Konoha greatly as the village recovered from the tailed beast's attack, and he was highly respected for that.

He also had a good reputation as part of the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Unfortunately, as an individual he wasn't widely known outside of ninja circles and in battle he was definitely weaker overall than Kakashi. Still an S-rank shinobi, without question, but no one would rank him among the strongest in the village without the support of his teammates.

Being the strongest wasn't a requirement by any means, but nobles, potential clients, and even other villages judged the strength of a village partially on the strength of its leader. That was part of the reason for Konoha's success – Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze had led the village, and all were known as some of the most powerful ninja to ever live. When you had a nickname like "the God of Shinobi" as he did or were rumored to have killed over a hundred enemy ninja in less than a minute as Minato was, people took notice.

From that perspective Kakashi was the obvious choice, but Shikaku would almost certainly be more effective performing the actual duties the job required. Which would benefit the village more in the long-term?

The Hokage sighed, wishing yet again that Minato was still the Hokage and that he didn't have to keep making decisions like this. The fact that he was being forced to make this decision because Minato's son may or may not actually be an immortal beast that may or may not be bent on the destruction of the village just made it that much worse.

His musings were interrupted by a rapid knocking on his door.

"What is it?" he snapped.

Dragon opened the door and walked in, his entire body tense. "Hokage-sama, we have a problem."

Great, just what he needed. He motioned for Dragon to continue even as he stifled his irritation.

"Twenty-six teams entered the Forest of Death three days ago. Of those teams, six entered the tower and four left the forest after losing their markers. Once the exam ended, we sent in squads to retrieve the other teams."

"Right...," the Hokage said.

"Those squads have just reported back after completing their search. They found five teams dead in the forest, but the other eleven teams are missing."

"Missing? They couldn't find them?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. We were able to track their movements successfully but those teams began disappearing towards the end of the first day. We are reasonably certain that they never left the Forest of Death, but a thorough search of the confines of the forest has revealed no trace of their current whereabouts."

The Hokage rubbed his temples tiredly. He really didn't need an international incident on top of everything else going on. Still, no reason he couldn't use this situation to help resolve his current dilemma.

"Have Shikaku, Kakashi, and the Chuunin Commanders report to my office in twenty minutes."

* * *

-July 20th, 347 NE-

-7:00 AM-

-Otafuku-gai-

Jiraiya waited impatiently at his private table, anticipating both the arrival of his breakfast and of his guest. As it turned out, his guest arrived first.

The cloaked figure settled into the seat across from him. There were no identifying marks and no exposed skin, but there was no way he could even mistake the unique feeling of his former teammate's chakra from this range.

He nodded silently and motioned for her to wait. After breakfast had arrived – he had thought ahead and ordered for Tsunade as well – and the waitress had departed after receiving a hefty tip to ensure privacy, he pulled out a few tags and set up a privacy barrier.

Tsunade sighed in relief as she pulled off the cloak and laid it over the back of her chair. Despite the early hour it was a sweltering day and she'd been forced to forgo chakra techniques for the sake of discretion. Her blonde hair was plastered to her head and her clothing was damp with sweat already.

"Thank Kami I can get out of that cloak," she exclaimed before gulping down her glass of water.

"You can always strip down some more if the heat bothers you," Jiraiya said as he eyed her sweat-covered form appreciatively.

"In your dreams, pervert," Tsunade snapped reflexively, smirking. She'd never admit it but she occasionally missed the familiar back-and-forth of her banter with Jiraiya.

"You know it, Tsu-hime," he replied, a grin on his face. His face settled into a more serious expression. "How's Kushina doing?"

Tsunade sighed before taking a few bites of her meal. Jiraiya waited patiently, consuming his own breakfast in turn.

"She's still obsessed with killing Sensei," she finally replied, "and she still spends the vast majority of her time training. Physically, she's better than ever; but mentally... she's stable, but she hasn't really improved."

Jiraiya sighed. "Sensei really fucked up back then..."

* * *

_-October 14th, 334 NE-_

_-1:00 AM-_

_-Konoha's Northern Gate-_

_A cloaked figure holding a small bundle darted across the street, moving swiftly and silently towards the gate that lead out of Konoha. The figure paused a few hundred feet away from the gates, watching the guards as they chatted quietly and observed their surroundings from within the confines of the gate house._

"_What are you doing, Kushina?" a voice called out from behind._

_Kushina startled and whipped around to find the Hokage standing before her clad in his ceremonial robes. His hat was missing, however, leaving his slightly balding head and gray hair exposed. He was backed by two squads of ANBU._

_Kushina glanced around warily, noting that she was now completely surrounded. "I'm leaving," she finally replied, her voice harsh._

_The Hokage's face appeared confused, but she could see the understanding and resignation hidden in his eyes. "Why would you leave in the dead of night? Just tell me where you're going and I can arrange for an ANBU escort to take you wherever you would like, and at a more proper hour."_

"_I'm leaving Konoha, you old fool," Kushina snapped, glaring._

_The Hokage sighed, giving up his pretense of confusion. "Why would you leave, Kushina? This is Minato's home, _your _home. Besides, Naruto-kun shouldn't be out on the roads at his age, regardless of how healthy he is."_

"_Naruto is the reason I'm leaving!" she said, her voice rising slightly and gaining a manic edge. "I know all about what happened at the council meeting. I know they want to kill my baby, that they think he's the tailed beast reincarnated. I won't let them!"_

_Sarutobi shook his head sadly. "That was only a small portion of the council, and their misunderstanding has been corrected. No one knows who Naruto is in any case, so he's perfectly safe here. I would never allow any harm to come to your son."_

"_Don't lie to me!" Kushina growled. "I know how ninja villages treat their jinchuuriki. You just want him as a weapon!"_

_The Hokage's eyes hardened, but he kept his voice calm. "You aren't thinking clearly, Kushina. I know the last few days have been very difficult for you, as they have been for everyone. Please, return home, get some sleep, and we can talk about this in the morning. I am more than willing to work out any arrangements you feel are necessary for Naruto's protection."_

_Kushina shook her head, clutching the bundle tightly to her chest. "He'll never be safe here, no matter what you do. I'll take him somewhere where no one will ever know who we are or what he is."_

"_I can't let you do that, Kushina. You are still recovering from childbirth, and Naruto is less than a week old. Even as strong as you are, so many things could go wrong if you go out there alone."_

"_I don't care," Kushina replied, began to back away towards the gates. The guards had noticed the confrontation taking place and were watching warily, prepared to support the Hokage if needed. "He's _my _son, _I _will take care of him. No one will take him from me."_

_The Hokage sighed again and signaled one of his ANBU. The tiger-masked ANBU stepped forward and shifted his mask slightly. Kushina whirled to face him, looking directly into his whirling sharingan eye before she registered the threat. That brief contact was all that Tiger needed to trap her in a genjutsu._

_Kushina froze in place, her eyes locked with Tiger's. The Hokage moved forward and gently removed the bundle from her unresisting arms. Stepping back, he said, "Take her to the ANBU HQ medical wing, gently. She is to be treated with the utmost respect, am I clear?"_

"_Yes, Hokage-sama."_

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-7:00 AM-_

_-ANBU HQ, Medical Wing-_

_Kushina slowly began to stir as the sunlight hit her eyes, turning her head slightly and starting to roll over. She stiffened when she felt the restraints holding her to the bed and her eyes snapped open._

_She was in a hospital room judging by the equipment, but not one in the main hospital. She must be in ANBU HQ then. _

"_Good morning, Uzumaki-san," an ANBU called out. "Please don't fight the restraints too much. I apologize for them, but they were a necessary measure considering your state earlier."_

_She didn't care about any of that. "Where is my son?" she asked._

"_I'm sorry," the ANBU said, "but I do not know his current whereabouts. The Hokage was looking after him personally last I knew."_

_Kushina was no longer paying attention, however, her mind calling forth the last words of a dead man that haunted her dreams._

Minato barely managed to choke out the words "I'm sorry," before he disappeared from the hospital room.

"_Where is _my son?_" Kushina growled, shaking off the unwelcome memory._

"_Uzumaki-san, please calm down. Allow me to summon a doctor and we can get all of this sorted out."_

_They had taken her son. Someone had taken her son away from her again, just like Minato had. She had begged and pleaded and he'd still taken her son, taken him to seal a beast in his gut and damn him to a lifetime of hatred and pain. That was ok, though._

_She'd just take him back._

_As she made her decision, Kushina felt her mind sharpen as an amazing sense of focus and clarity settled over her. She flexed her chakra slightly, feeling it respond swiftly and easily. They had neglected to use chakra suppressing seals on her; that was foolish of them, very foolish. They had clearly underestimated her, or believed her far more weakened by childbirth than she really was. _

_The ANBU stiffened when he felt her chakra flaring. "Uzum-"_

_Nearly a dozen chains made of solid chakra exploded from her form, shattering her restraints as they ripped through the bed she was laying on and the medical equipment surrounding her. The unfortunate ANBU never even got to finish speaking as half a dozen chains impacted his form and slammed him through a wall. He barely managed to survive by using his chakra to absorb some of the blow, but his head received a nasty shock and several bones were shattered by the dual impacts and he quickly lost consciousness. _

_Kushina stumbled to her feet and began walking towards the doorway. She didn't know where her son was yet, but she was perfectly ready to tear apart every building in Konoha if need be. Her face hardened in determination even as ANBU began to swarm around her, responding to the disturbance she had caused within their own headquarters._

"_Where is my son?" she asked._

_One of the ANBU, Tiger, stepped forward holding a bundle in his arms. "He's right here, Uzumaki-san. I'm sure he would like to see his mother as well, so if you would just calm down everything will work out fine."_

_Kushina's face relaxed and the chains began dissolving as she stepped closer to the ANBU to take her son into her arms. As she reached out, however, she hesitated. Something was off, something was wrong. The bundle _looked _like her son, but it didn't _feel_ like him. The presence of the beast locked inside of him was missing._

_Her hand suddenly jerked upward, seizing Tiger by the neck and squeezing harshly. Her chains reformed immediately and wrapped around him, preventing the ANBU from responding to her attack. The other ANBU were shouting at her, their words buzzing in her ears as she turned her gaze to them. None of them had Naruto, so they didn't matter. The chains wrapped around Tiger, responding to her will, began to squeeze even as more chains formed, waving through the air at the other ninja surrounding her. _

_She could feel her body protesting the strain of using so much chakra, but she didn't ease up or even hesitate. She would not rest until her son was once again safe within her arms. Her face twisted into a snarl even as the other ninja rushed forward._

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-8:00 AM-_

_-Hokage's Office-_

_The Hokage sagged back into his seat as Dragon continued explaining what had occurred in ANBU HQ._

"_We were eventually able to restrain her without any loss of life, but we sustained some serious injuries, Tiger especially. Uzumaki is currently locked down in a high-security cell with two squads keeping watch on her. We have also added chakra suppressing seals in addition to a full set of restraints."_

"_What is her condition?"_

"_Minor injuries only. Nothing life-threatening or permanent."_

"_Do you have any idea what caused her to react like that?"_

_Dragon shifted uncomfortably. "She just kept asking about her son. Tiger tried a genjutsu to make her think her son was there in order to keep things calm until she could be subdued, but... she reacted very badly when she saw through the illusion."_

"_I see... keep her there for the time being. I will visit later to judge her state for myself," the Hokage said grimly.  
_

_Shortly after Dragon left, Tsunade barged into his office, looking panicked. "Sensei, I can't find Kushina or Naruto anywhere. She was-"_

"_I know where she is," Sarutobi interrupted._

_Tsunade sagged in relief. "Thank Kami... where is she? Is she alright?"_

"_She's in ANBU prison," he said flatly._

_Tsunade blinked rapidly for a moment before she shook her head. "Very funny, Sensei. Now where is she?"_

"_I was not joking. She attempted to flee Konoha last night, taking Naruto with her."_

_Tsunade's face betrayed her shock before it turned to anger. "And you threw her in prison for that?" she snarled._

"_No, I didn't. I had her rendered unconscious and left her in the ANBU hospital so that she could get some rest and hopefully think more rationally once she had done so. When she awoke she immediately began attacking the ANBU taking care of her and nearly killed him, along with several others who responded to the disturbance."_

_Tsunade paled as she realized what Kushina had done. "What about Naruto? Was he hurt?"_

"_Naruto was not there, thankfully."_

_Instead of appearing relieved, Tsunade paled even further. "You... took Naruto away from her?"_

"_Temporarily, yes. I wanted to make sure she was in her right mind before returning him to her custody."_

"_You took Naruto from her," Tsunade repeated flatly._

"_... why?" the Hokage asked._

"_Sensei, Kushina has literally not let Naruto out of her sight since she got him back. She only manages to get any rest when she passes out due to sheer exhaustion or when I use a sleep jutsu on her."_

"_That sounds a little... excessive, but I can understand her concern, I suppose...," the Hokage said dubiously. _

"_No, I don't think you can. I don't think she's told anyone else, and I certainly haven't told anyone, but when Minato took Naruto from the hospital... he _took _him."_

_The Hokage paled. "What do you-"_

"_He kidnapped Naruto for the sealing," she said bluntly. "Minato asked Kushina if he could hold his child, and shortly after that he left using the Hiraishin. He never once asked Kushina what she wanted or if she approved. In fact, she begged him not to do it. And now you've taken Naruto away from her again."_

_The Hokage sighed tiredly and rubbed his temples. "Damn it, this is such a mess." He sighed again and shook his head. "It's unfortunate that it turned out this way, but Kushina clearly isn't in her right mind."_

_Tsunade frowned. "What are you talking about?"_

"_Kushina is so obsessed with protecting Naruto from the supposed threats in this village that she was prepared to leave in the middle of the night, alone. No matter how strong she is she can't possibly protect him all the time, and it sounds like she'd drive herself into the ground in short order if left on her own. She is also clearly a threat to other people while she is in this condition as evidenced by her actions this morning, regardless of her reasons."_

"_Just give Naruto back to her and she'll calm down!"_

"_Perhaps, but she'll also likely try to flee again, and there's no telling what she'd do the next time someone tries to stop her."_

"_I'll work with her, try to calm her down," Tsunade said firmly._

"_I hope you will," the Hokage replied, nodding, "but I can't return Naruto to her custody until I'm certain she won't try this again."_

"_Sensei, that's her _son. _You can't just take him away like that."_

"_I am not taking him away permanently, but until I'm certain she is rational I can't possibly trust her with a child, even her own."_

"_She's not 'rational' because you took away her son!"_

"_And I took him away because she was going to get him killed, along with herself!" the Hokage shouted._

_Tsunade recoiled slightly. She stifled her initial retort and tried to calm herself. "What will you do if she doesn't return to thinking 'rationally' without being allowed to keep her son?" she asked through clenched teeth._

_The Hokage shook his head. "I will not risk Minato's son," he said firmly._

_Tsunade's eyes widened slightly and her fists shook. "I see," she hissed through clenched teeth. "In that case, I will not waste any more of your time, Hokage-sama," she snapped, then turned and marched out of the room._

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-5:00 PM-_

_-Tsunade's Residence-_

_Tsunade paced furiously back and forth in her living room, muttering to herself. It wasn't that she couldn't understand Sensei's point of view, but she just couldn't bring herself to agree with it. She'd been working with Kushina ever since that first night and she'd already made some progress. It was clear she'd made a mistake in telling Kushina about what happened in the council meeting, but she felt that Kushina had a right to know about possible threats to Naruto. Even knowing how it turned it she couldn't say she would have done anything differently._

_Despite that setback, however, Kushina was slowly relaxing as she spent more time with Naruto. Yes, she still had an obsessive need to make sure he was safe, but after just two days she was already having an easier time dropping off to sleep, and Kushina trusted her to look after Naruto while she rested. That fact alone convinced Tsunade that Kushina was far more rational than Sensei apparently believed. Further, given what had happened in the hospital and then later in the council meeting, Kushina's fears were entirely justified as far as Tsunade was concerned. Tsunade also knew how most jinchuuriki were treated, which only pushed her even further into Kushina's camp._

_Still, Tsunade had slowly been working to let Kushina know that there were still people she could trust in Konoha. Kushina already trusted her, and Shizune was making solid progress on that front as well. Between the three of them they could make sure Naruto was well cared for without putting undue stress on any one of them. It would also allow them time to work through Kushina's issues._

_Tsunade grimaced slightly as she recalled what Kushina had been doing last night. Clearly Kushina felt the danger was a little more immediate than Tsunade herself had thought, but even that wouldn't have been insurmountable if Sensei hadn't interfered._

_Sensei had just destroyed all of her progress with his thoughtless actions, however, and likely set Kushina back even further. There was no chance that Kushina would ever willingly stay in Konoha now, and his last comment had made it clear to Tsunade that he would never let Kushina leave Konoha with Naruto. Whether it was conscious or not, he viewed Naruto as Minato's son more than Kushina's. Tsunade was also realistic enough, and understood just how seriously Sensei took his duty as Hokage, to acknowledge that Naruto's status as a jinchuuriki was probably a factor in that decision as well. _

_Sensei was looking out for Konoha's well-being as best he could, and he was willing to leave Kushina to suffer if he felt he had to. He likely consoled himself by thinking of it as protecting Naruto rather than hurting Kushina. Tsunade growled under her breath. Sensei may be able to do that, but she couldn't. She'd already lost so many people – Dan and Nawaki foremost among them – to this village; she refused to lose any more. _

_Let Sensei do what he thought best for the village as a whole. She was going to do what she thought best for Kushina._

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-7:00 PM-_

_-Tsunade's Residence-_

_Shizune sat on the couch in stunned disbelief as Tsunade finished explaining the situation._

"_Keeping her away from Naruto and sticking her in prison where she will be unable to see or protect him is going to kill her, literally; there's no possible way she'll ever recover under those conditions. That's why we're going to break her out. Unfortunately, we'll have to flee Konoha without Naruto for now. Unlike Kushina I do believe Sensei will protect Naruto, so we'll have time to prepare to hide from Konoha and anyone else who will be looking for us. Once we've done that, the three of us will be able to keep him safe and look after each other without any problems. We can figure out how to get Naruto out of Konoha from there."_

_Shizune clenched her fists as she listened to Tsunade explain her plan. Tsunade was going to visit Kushina under the pretense of checking up on her then bust her out, fighting her way through all of ANBU and the Hokage himself if necessary. _

"_The hardest part of this is going to be convincing Kushina to leave without Naruto. I can only hope she still trusts me as much as I think she does... anyway, let's get ready," Tsunade said, heading towards her room to begin storing away all of her things._

_Shizune hesitated for a brief moment before she stood from the couch and faced her teacher, her fists tightening nervously. Despite her inner turmoil, she still managed to keep her voice firm._

"_No."_

* * *

**A/N: **

"**Sayama" means "sand hill" or "dune". I had to come up with some last name for the Sand Siblings, though I was tempted to just use "Sabaku." **

**I hope my interpretation of Kushina is believable. I certainly don't think it's a stretch that a mother would react this way to her child being taken from her, and Kushina's had a really, really shitty few days. That she's also a powerful and experienced kunoichi just makes the whole situation that much more dangerous.**

**The next chapter will wrap up the flashback and get back to the present day. I will guarantee that the confrontation between Sarutobi and Kuushou will begin next chapter and that a meaningful portion of it will be included, though it certainly won't finish next chapter.  
**

**As per usual, next chapter will be up on Sunday.**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	28. Tell Me Why

_-October 14th, 334 NE-_

_-7:15 PM-_

_-Tsunade's Residence-_

_Tsunade turned to face her apprentice, a confused expression on her face._

"_No? What do you mean, no?"_

_Shizune shook her head slowly. Tsunade's plan was typical of her; her teacher always favored the direct approach whenever possible, and she normally had the strength and experience to handle anything that got in her way. This time, however, there was no way it could possibly work. They would be going up against a building full of ANBU and, far worse than that, the Hokage himself._

"_That plan will never work, Tsunade-sama. Even you would not be able to fight your way out of ANBU HQ while carrying Kushina, and the Hokage is almost guaranteed to show up. Do you honestly believe you could take him on, even if he was alone?"_

_Tsunade growled, but had to admit that her apprentice had a point._

"_We need a way to smuggle Kushina out without drawing attention, preferably without anyone even noticing she's gone until you are well away... and I have an idea," Shizune said, smiling wanly._

* * *

_-October 15th, 334 NE-_

_-10:00 AM-_

_-ANBU Prison-_

_The ANBU guarding Kushina's cell nodded respectfully to Tsunade and Shizune as they approached. The Chief Medic of Konoha and her apprentice were a common sight in the prison cells of ANBU headquarters as they had both the clearance and the skill necessary to deal with any medical issues that could, and often did, arise._

"_I'll be erecting some privacy seals as we conduct a full physical examination," Tsunade said. The ANBU nodded, making a note in the ledger._

"_You will be subjected to a search when you leave," the ANBU said apologetically. "As you know, it's standard procedure."_

_Tsunade just nodded impatiently and bustled into the room. Once the door was closed and the privacy barrier in place, Shizune immediately began removing Kushina's restraints while Tsunade began counteracting the combination of drugs and jutsu that kept Kushina sedated._

_Kushina awoke with a start, her eyes flaring wildly. Her arms and legs immediately began to pull against the loosening restraints, and Shizune stepped back to give her some room. The red-haired woman calmed considerably when she saw who was in the room with her._

"_Naruto?" she asked, her words slurred due to the drugs still present in her system._

"_He's fine, Kushina, perfectly fine. We need to get you out of here before we do anything else," Tsunade said._

_Kushina blinked for a few moments then nodded._

_A few more minutes and she was freed from her restraints and much more clear-headed. She kept looking at the closed door and privacy seals curiously as her mind shook off its drug-induced haze._

"_What's going on, Tsunade-sama?" she asked._

_Tsunade sighed quietly before replying. This conversation was going to be very... interesting._

"_Your release isn't exactly official, Kushina. Short version is that we're smuggling you out. The Hokage has no intention of giving Naruto back to you any time soon, and staying here will kill you. We're leaving Konoha like you planned, but we can't take Naruto with us just yet."_

_Kushina's eyes flared wildly and her face twisted into a snarl. "I won't leave my son behind!"_

_Tsunade turned and grabbed Kushina's shoulders, her eyes boring into the red-haired woman's own. "Listen to me, Kushina," she said forcefully. She was internally relieved when Kushina made no more than a token effort to break free of her grip. The younger woman had a great deal of respect for her, which she was going to be relying on heavily. _

"_If we take Naruto with us, they will never stop hunting us and he will never be safe; a life on the run would kill him as surely as any assassin. If you stay, you will be stuck in this cell for the foreseeable future, quite possibly the rest of your very short life."_

_Kushina stood transfixed, her eyes boring into Tsunade's own as she listened to the older woman._

"_I want to protect Naruto as much as you do, but it's going to take some sacrifices on our part to do that. We can't guarantee Naruto's safety while we are fleeing from Konoha's hunter-nin. There's also the possibility that we will be placed in the Bingo Book and all of the Elemental Nations will be after us. We _can't _expose Naruto to that without thorough preparations."_

_Tears were spilling down Kushina's face. "I-"_

"_Our best option is to leave Naruto here until we have prepared a safe place to hide away."_

"_But-"_

"_It's the _only way_,_ _Kushina. However, Naruto won't be alone here. Shizune will be staying behind to look after him as best she can while we prepare a true home for him. You trust Shizune, don't you?"_

_Kushina nodded slowly as she struggled to get her emotions under control._

_Shizune spoke up softly, her voice firm and filled with determination. "I will take care of him, Kushina, I swear it on my life."_

_Kushina trembled under Tsunade's grip, her mind grappling with the situation even as her instincts screamed at her to charge out of the room and find Naruto that very moment._

"_How long?" she asked finally._

_Tsunade grimaced. "As long as it takes. One way or another, Naruto _will _be safe," she said, pushing every scrap of conviction she possessed into the words. She mentally added 'and so will you.'_

_Kushina eyes flicked back and forth between Tsuande and Shizune for several minutes as she warred with herself internally. Finally, the tension bled out of her body and she nodded._

"_For Naruto."_

_Tsunade finally released Kushina from her grip and turned to Shizune. Her apprentice nodded grimly and lay back on the bed, shifting until she was lying in the same position Kushina had been a few minutes before._

"_I'm ready, Tsunade-sama," she said, her voice thick with emotion._

_Kushina glanced back and forth between them, confused._

_Tsunade swallowed thickly even as she began a long string of handsigns. "Be safe, Shizune."_

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-10:30 AM-_

_-ANBU Prison-_

_The ANBU ran through the standard array of checks on Tsunade and Shizune while his partner checked the cell and confirmed that the prisoner was present and secured. The restraints were all back in place and the chakra suppressing seals applied and functioning. He closed the door and re-activated the locking seals before signaling his partner. _

_The whole process took less than two minutes as they performed their tasks with efficiency honed by years of experience. The ANBU bowed respectfully as the Chief Medic and her apprentice left._

* * *

_-October 21st, 334 NE-_

_-10:00 AM-_

_-Hokage's Office-_

_The Hokage tried to keep his roiling emotions under control as he stared expectantly at the deer-masked ANBU._

"_Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san reportedly left on the fifteenth heading for Otafuku-gai to conduct a tour of the medical facilities there and determine the feasibility of establishing a long-term A-rank mission to staff the hospital with one or more med-nins. As you know, Hokage-sama, they never arrived," Deer reported, fidgeting slightly._

"_The tracking squads we dispatched report that neither Tsunade-sama nor Shizune-san entered or have been anywhere near the town within the last week. The squads have been unable to find any trail for either of them between Konoha and Otafuku-gai._

"_The squads then began a circuit around Konoha, but none of them have been able to find a trail for either Tsunade-sama or Shizune-san in any direction. The Inuzuka have also reported that the scent at the area they were last reported is weaker than it should be."_

_Deer swallowed nervously, knowing that the Hokage was not going to like this next part._

"_We then moved to Tsunade's residence to attempt to retrace her steps, only to find that a great deal of her possessions – clothing, tools, and books, for instance – were missing."_

_Deer barely managed to keep from jumping back as a small burst of killing intent swept the room. The Hokage's face became grim as he motioned for his ANBU to continue the report._

"_Shizune-san's residence appears undisturbed, but we can't be certain. The Inuzuka also reported that the scent trail found at the apartment was noticeably stronger than __at the place where they were last sighted_, leading us to conclude that the persons sighted were, in fact, clones. Despite this new lead the Inuzuka were still unable to find any scent trail outside of Konoha."

_The Hokage's voice was cold as he spoke. "What are your conclusions, Deer?"_

_The ANBU hesitated a moment before he continued. "It would appear that Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san were using clones and the cover of the visit to Otafuku-gai in order to confuse and delay anyone trying to find them. We estimate that they may have left as much as twenty-four hours prior to their last sighting."_

"_You think they have gone missing."_

"_That is the only conclusion that fits the facts we have available, Hokage-sama."_

_The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. "How many people know about this?"_

"_ANBU squads Dog, Wolf, and Falcon, along with Teams Tsume, Mashiro, and Hatsuki. Dragon-sama is likely aware as well."_

"_I want those teams sequestered in ANBU HQ immediately. Find out if they've talked to anyone and detain those people as well. If more than twenty people know, come back to me for further instructions," the Hokage snapped. "Also, have Dragon and Kensuke report to me at once, priority black."_

_Deer bowed and left quickly, grateful to escape the office intact._

_The Hokage leaned back in his chair as he contemplated the situation; he found it difficult to believe Tsunade would simply abandon the village. He had certainly misread his students before though, he admitted to himself bitterly. Orochimaru's madness and treachery made it clear that his perception when it came to his students was far from perfect. Tsunade exhibited none of the warning signs that Orochimaru had, however - there was no odd behavior or strange disappearances, no unexplained gaps in her time within the village. Other than this last week, at any rate._

_His secretary interrupted his thoughts, informing him that one of his jounin was here to see him. The jounin bowed nervously and immediately began his report once he was in the office._

"_Hokage-sama, my team was assigned the mission to maintain the Namikaze compound this week. However, we were unable to gain entrance this morning. The blood seal on the gate has activated."_

_The Hokage growled softly under his breath. This was probably some sort of automatic defense Minato had added; it had been nearly two weeks since Minato had sacrificed himself, and it would be just like him to prepare for this sort of contingency. _

_This also reminded him that he needed to go through Minato's lab and make sure everything was secured and stored away. Although, now that he was thinking about it, it would probably be better if Jiraiya did that; he would have a better idea of how to organize everything properly anyway. This was assuming of course that he could convince Jiraiya to even enter the house; the Toad Sage was taking Minato's death hard and was still having trouble coming to grips with it._

"_Thank you for informing me. Have your team come back tomorrow, I should have the issue resolved by then."_

"_Understood, Hokage-sama."_

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-1:30 PM-_

_-Outside the Namikaze Compound-_

_The Hokage poured the vial of blood he had personally collected from Kushina just a few short minutes ago onto the blood seal. Though Minato and Kushina had never officially married or even revealed their relationship – a mutual decision to avoid complications within and without the village, though they knew the secret would eventually leak out anyway – Sarutobi knew that Minato had added Kushina to the blood seal that guarded his compound long ago._

_Sarutobi frowned when the seal did not deactivate as he had expected. He stared at the vial in his hand for a long moment before his face paled and he vanished in a shunshin._

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-1:30 PM-_

_-ANBU Prison-_

"_Open that cell now!" the Hokage roared, anger etched clearly on his face. The ANBU jerked to attention and hastened to comply, eager to do whatever he could to appease the furious Hokage._

_Sarutobi charged into the room and stopped next to the bed, staring down at the figure bound there – it certainly _looked_ like Kushina. He flared his chakra to dispel any illusions hiding the true form. Nothing changed._

_Frowning, he focused and poured far more chakra into his efforts, actually forming a ram seal and calling out the name of the technique for the first time in years. "Kai!"_

_There. The form rippled slightly under the force of his jutsu. He knew of only one genjutsu that could withstand such a concentrated assault – Tsunade's personal genjutsu that she used to hide her age. She had actually explained how it worked to him, years ago, happy to indulge his curiosity and still a little eager to impress her teacher. Thanks to that discussion, he also knew how to dispel it._

_He laid his hand on "Kushina's" forehead and began rapidly pulsing his chakra, adjusting it slightly with each pulse until the illusion shattered. His face darkened when he saw Shizune bound to the bed, her face restful and relaxed as she dozed away under the influence of the sedatives._

"_Get me a Yamanaka," he said, his voice razor sharp._

* * *

_-Same Day-_

_-5:00 PM-_

_-ANBU Prison-_

"_I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but I have not found any clear evidence. The drugs she was under have scrambled her recent memories and she can't fully differentiate between dream and reality for the events leading up to her visit to the prison. I found no less than five different versions of the events that may or may not have actually occurred that led to her being in that cell."_

"_Was she a willing participant in any of them?"_

"_... in one of them, yes," the Yamanaka finally admitted._

"_And the others?"_

"_She was coerced into it, ambushed once she entered the cell, hit with a genjutsu, or... ah, seduced into it."_

"_Seduced?" the Hokage echoed, his voice faintly incredulous. "By whom?"_

"_I'd rather not say, Hokage-sama, as such information is highly personal in nature and I do not believe that to be the true version of events in any case. I can not be certain any of them are, actually."_

"_... very well. That aside, in your professional opinion, do you believe that she is a willing accomplice?"_

"_In my professional opinion, Hokage-sama... the evidence is inconclusive. Her psych profile suggests extreme devotion to her teacher, but her mind also shows signs of feeling betrayed. In her defense, I _was_ able to confirm that she still feels loyal to Konoha. She also feels a strong drive to protect and shelter Naruto above and beyond assisting her teacher, though her feelings are somewhat tumultuous on that subject."_

_The Hokage frowned thoughtfully. "Do you feel a more... thorough investigation is merited?"_

_The Yamanaka winced. "I believe that would be excessive, Hokage-sama. The damage incurred by such an approach would be considerable, and I do not feel there is sufficient evidence of either guilt in this specific matter or treachery in general to call for such extreme measures."_

"_I will take that under advisement. Thank you for your time, you are dismissed."_

* * *

_-November 3rd, 334 NE-_

"_Well, we seem to be in the clear," Tsunade said. "No sign of any tracker teams in over two weeks. Now we need to secure a base of operations."_

"_I may have an idea," Kushina said, frowning thoughtfully._

* * *

-July 20th, 347 NE-

-7:30 AM-

-Otafuku-gai-

Tsunade sighed. "If he'd just left Naruto near Kushina we may have been able to convince her to stay in Konoha. But once she thought someone else was trying to take Naruto from her... well, that pretty much sealed it."

Jiraiya shook his head sadly, dismissing thoughts of what might have been. "Well, I'm sure you didn't have me come here just to rehash bad memories. What do you need? Another mission? More supplies?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, we've been doing fine on that front. I'm actually here to help you for a change, or really help Naruto by helping you."

Jiraiya smirked. "Oh? I'm listening."

"We were recently approached about a job involving Konoha. Apparently there's going to be a big commotion during the third phase that we're supposed to take advantage of. We were offered a choice of several targets to kidnap, with bounties ranging from five million ryo to one hundred million."

Jiraiya choked. "_One hundred million? _Who would- shit. That's for Naruto, isn't it?"

"Got it in one. There were two Hyuuga and three Uchiha for five million ryo each, and Anko Mitarashi for twenty-five million. We managed to snag both Naruto and Mitarashi, but we have no idea who will be going after the others, or even if that was the full list. They made it sound like we were given first choice, but it wouldn't surprise me if they told everyone that."

"The byakugan, the sharingan, a jinchuuriki, and Anko...," Jiraiya said, thinking out loud. "Obviously someone wants the bloodlines, but who would want Anko and the kid?"

"Who all knows about her cursed seal?" Tsunade asked.

"Most of the jounin in Konoha, I'd say. It was a fairly big deal when she first came back, but once I sealed it off and cleared her for duty it mostly died down and no one really talks about it now. Oddly enough more people know Naruto's the container of the tailed beast, since so many clans can detect the presence of the tailed beast or have to know about him for their own safety.

"Anyway, do you have any more info on this disturbance or who is offering up all this money?"

"Not much. Our contact in the Eastern Dragons said clients, plural, but that's what they always say. As for the disturbance he specifically said it had nothing to do with the Fire Lord or any of the nobles, and that security would be distracted dealing with it allowing an opening to kidnap the various targets."

"How certain were they?"

"They offered a free pass if the distraction didn't show up, which means they are _damn _sure it's going to. You have any ideas what it could be?"

Jiraiya's face darkened as he thought back to the revelations from Baki and his team. "Yeah, I can think of a few."

* * *

-July 22nd, 347 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Near the Border Between The Land Of Rain and The Land Of Fire-

"Sensei!" one of the genin suddenly called out, stumbling to a halt. The rest of the genin and jounin came to a stop as well, turning curiously.

"What is it?" one the jounin asked.

"The stone is vibrating again," the genin replied, pulling the small rock out of his pocket. The other ninja exchanged confused glances.

"When did it start doing that?" his sensei asked.

"Just now. And it seems to be getting stronger."

"It didn't do this last time we passed through here, did it?"

"No, sensei."

The genin exchanged confused glances, but the jounin began eying their surroundings warily. They hadn't overlooked the fact that their Commander wanted them to mark _who _was in the vicinity when the stones vibrated. They were meant to detect something very specific, which meant there was someone else out here with them. That they couldn't detect anything meant that, whoever it was, they were very skilled and thus very dangerous.

"Sensei! It's getting really strong now!" the genin called out, holding the stone in his palm. Sure enough, the rock was beginning to jump about in his hand.

"Stay al-"

The jounin's words ended abruptly as his throat was torn out, the blood spraying into the air. The jounin reacted swiftly, their weapons in their hands moments later as they moved to intercept the blur that had killed their comrade. The genin could only stare in shock as the light faded from their teacher's eyes.

The battle paused momentarily as a long _clang _rang out in the clearing. The two Ame jounin were pressing their kunai against a large metal staff, trying to leverage their combined strength to overpower their opponent. They were also warily eying the strange hooked blades that capped each end of the staff, noting the blood the was slowly dripping from the point of the smaller blade.

The other ninja was holding his staff in two hands and did not appear to be struggling, even against their combined strength. A green scarf was pulled up to hide the bottom half of his face, but his pink eyes and gray hair were clearly visible.

"Who are you?" demanded one of the Ame jounin angrily.

The other ninja didn't reply, instead pulling one of his hands off the staff and raising it in front of his face. The Ame ninja paled when they pressed harder against the staff and it still didn't budge an inch. Then the ninja began forming handsigns with his free hand.

The Ame jounin sprang back, flinging kunai that were effortlessly deflected by the staff.

"Run!" they yelled at the genin. "Head for Ame and don't stop!"

"Water Release: Eight-Armed Embrace," the enemy ninja intoned softly.

Water seemed to form from the very air behind the ninja, forming eight large, long arms that hovered in the air for a brief moment before lashing out. Two of them headed for the jounin while the other six went for the genin, the watery arms stretching swiftly and easily.

The jounin managed to evade the first strike, but all of the genin were captured immediately. They struggled helplessly against the water, but their bonds might as well have been formed of solid steel for all they accomplished.

The jounin cursed and turned their attention back to their attacker, their hands flashing through handsigns. They never got the opportunity to finish their jutsu, however, as the hooked staff flashed out from behind them.

One brought his hands up to try to stop the blood streaming from his throat while the other found himself lifted into the air by the large hook that had pierced his shoulder. He managed to stifle his scream of pain even as he stared disbelievingly at the image of the attacker that flickered and faded, revealing itself to have been a bunshin. He'd never noticed his enemy make the switch or felt the flare of chakra that accompanied the technique.

His good hand moved towards his kunai pouch to try one last desperate attack, but he was whipped through the air and slammed into a tree headfirst, and he knew no more.

* * *

Yagura dropped the unconscious Ame jounin to the ground and shook the blood off of his staff. Turning his attention back to the captured genin, he began approaching them at a leisurely pace as he secured his staff on his back once again.

"What do you want?" one of the genin cried, echoed by his comrades. Yagura ignored them, instead stooping to pick up the stone that was even now hopping back and forth on the ground as it bounced around. As soon as he touched it the stone shattered. Small wisps of dark red energy drifted up from the broken remains.

Blue energy streamed forth from Yagura's hand, coiling around the wisps of energy before retreating back into his body. He tensed and cocked his head slightly, then scowled.

"Just as we thought, then," he said out loud, confusing the watching genin. "Will this serve as confirmation enough for you? … Good, saves us a lot of trouble then."

"What are you talking about?" another genin asked hesitantly. Yagura continued to ignore them. He moved towards the genin and began rifling through the pouches, finding two more stones - which immediately shattered and released more energy - along with a series of papers filled with notes. He eyed the papers critically for a moment before turning to the genin.

"What code did you use?"

"Like we'd tell you!" one of the genin spat.

Yagura's hand twitched and that genin found himself completely engulfed by the watery arm that was holding him. He began thrashing around in the water as his air ran out while the other genin watching in horrified disbelief.

"What code did you use?" Yagura repeated, looking at the other genin.

"We'll tell, we'll tell!" the genin's teammate cried. "Just let him go!"

Yagura's hand twitched again, and the drowning genin's head poked out of the water. He began coughing and hacking as he drew in lungfuls of air.

"I'm waiting." Yagura said evenly.

After the genin had revealed the key to the code, Yagura spent the next ten minutes translating and reading through their notes. Once he was finished, he turned his attention back to the genin, who flinched slightly, wondering what this madman would do next.

"Why did you make these notes?" he asked.

"That was our mission during the exams."

"What are the stones for?"

"We don't know, exactly. We were just told to record where the stones vibrated and who was in the area."

Yagura referred to the notes again. After a few seconds, he nodded. "I agree," he said. "It has to be one of those two. Fortunately they're on the same team so if we find one we'll almost certainly find the other."

He gathered up all of the notes and held them up in front of his face as he breathed out a small stream of fire. Once the notes had been completely destroyed he walked over to the jounin. It took him a few minutes to bind the man's wound and rouse him from unconsciousness.

"I have a few questions for you," Yagura said.

* * *

-July 22nd, 347 NE-

-12:00 PM-

The jounin panted harshly as he finished explaining everything he knew about the tailed beasts and junchuuriki, which was very little. His captor's questions had ranged from the defensive layout of Ame - which he had refused to divulge, even under threat of death - to his leader's appearance, companions, and personal habits. He had revealed some information, enough to keep his captor satisfied, without revealing any of the secrets he held that might compromise his village. The questioning had also made him realize just how little he knew about his leader, which he found slightly disconcerting in retrospect.

"Do you have any other questions?" Yagura asked. The jounin flinched – he had learned quickly how to tell when his captor was talking to himself and not interrupt or comment. The first time had been unpleasant, the second painful, and he'd made sure there wasn't a third.

"Neither do I," Yagura said. "... yes, I'll take care of it."

Yagura turned his attention back to the jounin. "You were reasonably cooperative, and for that I will make this quick," he said, before driving a kunai into his captive's heart.

The genin screamed in protest and struggled against their watery bonds that had kept them captive for nearly an hour. "Why?" one of them cried out. "He told you everything you wanted to know!"

Yagura shrugged apologetically. "Your village has declared war against my kind. If you must blame someone, blame your leader."

His hand twitched, and the clearing fell silent.

* * *

-July 23rd, 347 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hey Hokage-jii-san, you wanted to see me?" Kuushou said as he strolled into the office. The Hokage wasn't at his desk as he normally was, though, instead standing at the window and staring out at the village.

"Indeed I did," the Hokage replied, not turning around. "I have something very important I want to talk to you about. ANBU, please give us some privacy."

There was no response for a long moment before four ANBU appeared behind the Hokage, kneeling with one fist planted on the wooden floor. "Hokage-sama?" one asked.

"Privacy, please," the Hokage repeated, still not turning around.

"Very well, Hokage-sama," the ANBU replied, vanishing. Kuushou felt them move just outside the room. After they had left, the door clicked shut behind them and the locking seals flared to life once more. The Hokage continued to stare out at the village. Kuushou was about to repeat his earlier question when the old man finally spoke.

"I have lived in this village all of my life," he began, his voice filled with nostalgia. "I was born here sixty-eight years ago, graduated from the Academy at the age of nine and was placed on a genin team led by the Second Hokage. I have fought in and survived all three Great Ninja Wars, and was appointed Hokage in one of the last battles in the First Great War. I led this village both on and off the battlefield during the Second and Third Wars, striving to protect as many people as I could. There were hardships and sacrifices, but in the end the village survived and even prospered.

"I have dedicated my life to serving this village, and I don't think it is arrogant to say that I have done well – Konoha is the strongest village in the Elemental Nations, and I am proud to be her leader and to serve with the many loyal and dedicated ninja who call her home. My greatest comfort, however, is the knowledge that my legacy will live on long after I have passed."

Kuushou shifted uneasily. The Hokage still hadn't turned to face him, instead staring out the window the entire time. He'd never seen the Hokage like this before, and it worried him that the old man he thought he knew so well could surprise him.

"I thought to enjoy my retirement when I passed the title on to Minato, safe in the knowledge that I had found a successor who would in time surpass me and who was every bit as dedicated to this village as I was. When he fell twelve years ago, I reluctantly took back the title and once more dedicated my life to this village, knowing that I was the only real option at the time and that my village would need me to recover. These past twelve years have been, in many ways, the most difficult of my life.

"I was old then, and feel older now. The problems seem to just pile up faster than they used to, or perhaps I have simply grown tired of it all. Ever since my wife died I find myself wondering why I keep going on. If Minato were still Hokage I probably would have died already, if only to join her in the afterlife. As it is I find my Will of Fire burning a little less brightly every day. One day – and it shall be sooner rather than later, I think – it will extinguish entirely."

He sighed quietly, still staring out the window.

Kuushou stared at the Hokage's back. He had absolutely no idea why the Hokage was telling him this. He'd almost think the old man was going to appoint him his successor, but no matter how impressive he was already he didn't think the old man was so desperate as to appoint a thirteen year old as the Hokage.

"Jii-san," he started to say, but the Hokage resumed speaking.

"However, it has not extinguished yet, nor am I ready to give up protecting this village." The Hokage finally turned from the window, allowing Kuushou to see the old man's face as he moved over to sit behind his desk. There was no emotion there – it was a cold mask that could have been carved from granite. His eyes were burning with intensity, however, as they settled on Kuushou's form.

Even as Kuushou absorbed this, the Hokage placed his hand on the desk and seals began flaring to life all over the office. There must have been hundreds of them, and they all seemed to be some variation of barrier or protection seals. They were all focused inward, however, designed to contain something rather than repel something, and it soon became obvious why.

Layered over all of them were several very, very large explosive seals, shining brightly with stored chakra.

"The Death God stated that the tailed beast would be banished for a period of one hundred years upon the failure of the seal. So, tell me why I shouldn't make my last act as Hokage to start that period of banishment right now, tailed beast."

Kuushou just gaped at the Hokage for a long moment, unable to process the rapidly changing situation. After a few seconds he snapped out of his shock and put on a confused face.

"What are you talking about, Hokage-jii-san?"

There was the tiniest moment of hesitation on the Hokage's part, but he shook his head slightly and his face grew even stonier. "Do not play games with me, tailed beast. I did not come to this course of action without being certain."

Kuushou continued to stare at the Hokage for several seconds, maintaining his confused expression. The Hokage's face never twitched and the intensity in his gaze never wavered. Finally, he sighed and dropped his act, slowly walking over to sit on one of the chairs facing the Hokage's desk.

"Twelve years and it comes to this," he said, staring straight at the Hokage. The Hokage tensed slightly, his face paling a little. Kuushou smirked in response. "Ah, so you weren't quite as certain as you claimed, were you? Or perhaps you held out hope that you were mistaken, that you could dismiss all of this as a bad dream. Ironic, since I have had similar thoughts myself."

The Hokage said nothing, his eyes boring into Kuushou's.

"So, what now?" Kuushou continued. "Do you expect me to beg and plead for my life? Are you going to find another way to steal my power for yourself or your village?"

The Hokage frowned. "We did not-" he began, but was interrupted by Kuushou's sharp, barking laugh.

"Ha! I may not have seen this coming, old man, but I am no fool. Ninja are always looking for new ways to gain power, and jinchuuriki are as powerful as it gets. A single adult jinchuuriki is considered a credible threat to any Kage. I doubt it's a coincidence that your ninja began assaulting me the moment I returned to the human realm, an assault that led to my sealing."

Kuushou observed the Hokage's reactions with some satisfaction. The old man had tried to seize control of this confrontation with those explosive seals, but Kuushou wasn't about to let that stand. He had no intention of talking with the Hokage from a position of weakness.

The Hokage scowled. "We were acting in self-defense!" he snapped. "You would have destroyed the village had we not stopped you."

"Really?" Kuushou asked mockingly. "How much of your village did I damage, exactly?"

The Hokage opened his mouth to reply, then paused, taken aback. Good, the old man was even more off balance now. Kuushou mentally smirked as he continued to erode the Hokage's defense bit by bit.

"The answer you are having trouble saying is _none. _I damaged nothing and killed no one within this village."

"You killed hundreds of ninja!" the Hokage countered angrily.

"I was acting in self-defense," Kuushou replied smugly, throwing the Hokage's earlier words back in his face. "Your ninja launched the first strike and never stopped. I believe I never even got within two miles of the village I was supposedly bent on destroying."

The Hokage scowled but could not refute his words. He had been present when Minato gave the orders and it was true that they had launched what they believed to be a preemptive strike against the tailed beast.

"Since we're having this little discussion, I've got a question for you," Kuushou said. "How did you get your hands on the Death God's seal?" Kuushou had always wondered about that, and his curiosity had only grown when he read the scroll Itachi had brought him.

The Hokage frowned thoughtfully, carefully considering his reply. "Minato was studying the seal out of curiosity for some time prior to your attack."

"How... _convenient._ Your successor just _happens _to be studying the very seal that banished me shortly before I return."

"Banished you?" the Hokage asked, startled. "You are clearly still in this realm...," he said.

"This is not the first time I have been sealed. It would be one hundred and twelve years ago now that I was first sealed. I was attacked for no reason while relaxing in the grasslands far to the west of here. The Land of Wind, I believe you call it."

The Hokage's eyes grew wide.

"Yes, I'm sure you recall the so-called 'sealing experiment' that devastated the area. That incident occurred when I destroyed the seal that bound me then," Kuushou said, slowly rising from his chair and moving to stand next to the window.

The blood drained from the Hokage's face. He remained nearly motionless as his eyes followed Kuushou's movements.

"It really is a remarkable view from here," Kuushou said. "You can see most of the village that you love so much." He paused, raising his hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "How large would you say this village is? Five miles across? Perhaps six?"

The Hokage didn't reply, his eyes locked on Kuushou's form.

"How large do you think the explosion was that devastated the Land of Wind?"

The Hokage flinched, but remained silent.

Kuushou turned, a vicious smile on his face as he walked past the Hokage and returned to his seat. His eyes bored into the Hokage's own, and he allowed his youki to bleed into his eyes, completing their change to blood red eyes with a black vertical slit. He also began leaking some of his killing intent, filling the room with an oppressive aura. The old man bore it well, but Kuushou could see his breathing becoming labored and beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"You can try to destroy me with those explosive seals," Kuushou said, his voice cold, "but if you think by doing so you'll protect your village, you are rather sorely mistaken.

"So what will it be, _Hokage_?"

* * *

**A/N: **

**That wraps up the flashback arc for Kushina, Tsunade, Shizune, and Sarutobi. I've revealed enough information earlier in the story to fill in the gaps between that time and the present day, so you've got the "whole story" at this point.**

**I'm not sure it came across clearly, but Yagura didn't know about the stones beforehand. He just happened to be in the area when the teams were returning to Ame and seized the opportunity. Writing that scene also made me realize that I have very few battles where the sides are relatively even in this fic. Here Yagura is a jinchuuriki + Kage, and basically curbstomps the three jounin. The genin aren't even a factor in the battle. Sarutobi did much the same thing at the end of the Uchiha arc, though he used misdirection as opposed to brute force. **

**They _are _ninja, so striking where the enemy is weak and taking them out before they have a chance to come up with a response is reasonable, but doesn't necessarily make for interesting reading. Fortunately, the third phase is going to have a lot of balanced pairings available so I'll have a chance to address that particular weakness. And I do feel that fight scenes are one of my weaker areas, so hopefully I can get some good feedback from the wonderful, amazing reviewers when we reach that point. The feedback on the prelim fights was very helpful and much appreciated.  
**

**Thus begins the confrontation between Sarutobi and Kuushou. It's looking like it will span all of next chapter and possibly into the one after that, though I haven't finalized it yet. I thought about ending it after Sarutobi activated the seals, but that seemed too short (and cruel). So I just picked a different cliffhanger! Muahahahhahaha.  
**

**As usual, next chapter will be on Friday and then Sunday. I _might _be dropping the release rate to one chapter a week during November while I participate in NaNoWriMo, as I'm not building up my buffer as much as I had hoped to, but we'll see.  
**

**Many, many thanks for all the encouraging reviews and thanks for reading!  
**


	29. What Shall It Be?

-July 23rd, 347 NE-

-2:15 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The Hokage swallowed thickly before he replied, his voice hoarse. "You're bluffing. You have no proof that will happen."

Kuushou smirked condescendingly. "True, I can't _prove _that destroying this body will cause destruction of that magnitude without actually doing so. However, if you'll recall the Death God's words, he specifically said 'banished once again'. Why would he say that if I had never been banished before?"

The Hokage stared at Kuushou for several seconds before he slumped back in his chair. The explosive seals slowly faded from view, though the privacy seals and other seals protecting the office from infiltration or eavesdropping remained active.

Kuushou nodded in satisfaction; the Hokage's gamble had failed while his had succeeded. Kuushou himself wasn't entirely certain what would happen if some external force destroyed his body, but he suspected that it would not, in fact, result in such devastation. With Ino still inside Konoha he also had no intention of destroying the seal himself, but the Hokage certainly didn't need to know that. It was debatable whether anyone else in the village would stay his hand, but it was a moot point at the moment.

Silence reigned for nearly a minute as Kuushou watched the Hokage. The old man's face was hidden from view by his hat, but his overall demeanor spoke of defeat. Kuushou was actually rather surprised when the Hokage finally looked up, as his eyes were still sharp. It seemed he had not entirely broken the Hokage's spirit after all.

"I am still not convinced that you are not a threat to this village," the Hokage said finally, his voice firm.

Kuushou stifled his irritation, instead nodding respectfully at the old man as if he had made a good point. Of course he was a threat, but a combative attitude would probably not help at this point. "What would it take to convince you then?"

"I need more information," the Hokage replied immediately, his voice sharp. "I need to know what you are and what you want. Once I have those answers then perhaps we can come to some sort of understanding."

Kuushou snorted slightly at his choice of words, but nodded in agreement. "Ask away then."

"Why were you approaching this village twelve years ago?"

"Honestly, I can't say I _was _'approaching the village,' as I didn't even know it was there. Even if I had known, I would not have cared. There was no sign of my brethren in the area and so no reason for me to remain. I had far more important things to do than bother with an insignificant human settlement."

That he would have been perfectly willing to blast his way through the village should he have decided it was necessary or expedient he left unsaid; that particular insight wouldn't steer the conversation the way he wanted it to go. The Hokage seemed particularly weak to guilt, so guilt he would get.

"Why did you kill all those ninja then?" the Hokage asked, his voice biting.

"Because they attacked me." Seeing the Hokage flinch, Kuushou smirked and nodded. "Yes, that's right; if you had simply left me alone, none of those ninja would have died, including the Fourth Hokage and his son."

The Hokage looked away, his expression pained, before his eyes snapped back to Kuushou. "You know?"

"Of course I know," Kuushou replied, "I was aware of everything that happened to this body. I know who Naruto's parents are and I'm also aware of that confrontation you had with this body's mother. And _still_ you dare to claim that didn't seal me for my power. You stole her son because you were unwilling to let go of your newfound jinchuuriki. Among my kind such an act would be considered... sacrilege. Yes, that is the closest word; a crime of the highest order."

Guilt warred with anger on the Hokage's face before he regained control of his emotions. "When did you kill Naruto?" he asked rather than responding to Kuushou's latest accusation.

Kuushou just laughed. "Oh, I never harmed him at all. You can think the Fourth for that one."

"Minato would never kill his own son!" the Hokage shouted, slamming his hand on his desk. "_You_ killed him and took over somehow after the sealing."

Kuushou just shook his head. "I'm sure it makes you feel better to think so, but you already know exactly what killed him, and when. 'All within Death's domain and the boundary shall be taken in payment'," he quoted, repeating the words the Death God had spoken that day. "You merely _assumed _Naruto was excluded from that because he was still alive after the sealing. He was not. Every moment after the sealing has been me, and only me."

Seeing the horror etched on the Hokage's face, Kuushou couldn't resist adding one more jibe. "Face it, old man. The only time I ever harmed anyone or anything related to this village was in response to something _Konoha _started. You literally have no one to blame but yourselves."

_That _seemed to have broken his spirit at last, judging by the haunted look in the old man's eyes. Which meant now was the perfect time to start getting something useful out of this conversation... other than the satisfaction he took from mocking one of his chief captors. He knew that Sarutobi wasn't directly to blame, but then the old man had just threatened to destroy everything he had spent the last twelve years working for; a little payback seemed appropriate.

"However...," Kuushou said slowly, pulling the Hokage's attention away from his self-recrimination, "that isn't to say I view Konoha as my enemy."

_You aren't worthy of such a distinction._

"Even if you didn't know it was _me, _you have been... kind over the years."

_Access to your knowledge has been very useful._

"Having seen what my younger brother went through, it's also clear that my situation could have been far, far worse. Although if anyone had tried that with me personally, they would have come to regret it very quickly."

_Get any ideas of changing my seal and I will destroy you._

Kuushou plastered a pleasant smile on his face as he stared at the Hokage. It didn't matter whether the old man took his words at face value or not. Either message would suit his purposes.

The Hokage mustered up enough energy to look confused. "Younger brother?"

"Yes, the one you know as the one-tailed beast. Currently bound within Gaara, though under much improved conditions. He seems to have come through the experience mostly intact, thankfully."

Sarutobi stared at him for a long moment. "What _are_ the tailed beasts?" he asked finally.

"Well, first of all, we are not 'tailed beasts'. We are properly known as Bijuu, and we are something rather unique. You already think of us as immortal beings of immense power, but we are also _intelligent. _We have lived many, many years, after all, so it should be no surprise that we've learned a few tricks here and there. If we were truly bent on destroying the world, we would have had plenty of time to do so."

The Hokage seemed to be recovering from his earlier depression and responded quickly. "The tailed beasts – or Bijuu, rather – only appeared a little over a hundred years ago, and immediately began causing destruction wherever they went."

"Wrong," Kuushou replied flatly, an annoyed expression on his face.

The Hokage frowned at his response. "That is the earliest recorded sighting of a ta- Bijuu. No one has ever reported any peaceful contact of any kind."

"And wrong again. We have walked this world for hundreds of years. I won't claim we never killed anyone at all, but we did not view humanity as an enemy or even a potential threat. If anything, you... _amused _us."

"We _amused_ you?" the Hokage asked angrily.

Kuushou shrugged. "As I said, we have lived a very long time, and you humans were something new and different. With so many of you doing so many different things, there was always something interesting to witness."

"When did you first enter the human realm? And why is knowledge of the different realms forbidden?"

Kuushou began to respond, then blinked. With a grin slowly spreading across his face, he replied, "Oh, '_forbidden_' is it? _Someone's _been letting things slip."

"Why is it forbidden?" the Hokage asked again. "Why is it so important that we don't know about it?"

"Well, it rather depends on your perspective, I suppose. Such knowledge is not forbidden to me or my brethren; we may travel as we wish and share it with anyone we care to. For the ones you know as summons, however, the situation is very different. To put it in terms you would be familiar with... they started a war in someone else's country, lost, and had to pay reparations."

The Hokage thought for a few moments, attempting to translate that vague statement. "What 'country' did they start a war in?"

"The human realm," Kuushou replied, grinning.

"They attacked the human realm?" the Hokage asked, shocked and disbelieving.

Kuushou shook his head. "No, they've always had rather friendly relations with humans, actually. They attacked _us, _but they made the mistake of doing it here."

"... I don't understand," the Hokage finally admitted. "Why would it matter if they fought you here or elsewhere?"

"Well, since you know enough to be asking these questions in the first place, I suppose I should fill you in the rest of it. It'll be an interesting experience, lecturing the 'Professor'." With a small smirk at the slightly irritated look on Sarutobi's face, he began.

"Reality as you know it is divided into four realms: the human realm, this one; the outer realm, where the so-called Summon Tribes live; the demon realm, where myself and my brethren originate; and the divine realm, where the one you refer to as Kami resides. There's rather more to it, of course, but that will suffice to give you the basic idea."

The Hokage's jaw dropped open. "Kami exists?" he asked, stunned.

Kuushou just raised an eyebrow. "You know of the Death God but didn't think Kami existed? That's rather... ironic, since they are for all intents and purposes the same being."

The Hokage's jaw sagged even further before he closed it with an audible snap. Collecting himself, he cleared his throat and said, "That's just... rather surprising. We have proof of the Death God, but no one has ever summoned or even claimed to have communicated with Kami in a meaningful fashion."

"Well, they wouldn't, would they? Kami only manifests in the realm as the Death God."

"Why?"

Kuushou shrugged. "I couldn't tell you the reasoning, only that everything Kami does has a law behind it. Which leads us back to my little lesson.

"The Summon Tribes had been visiting the human realm for many years before we showed up, and they didn't like our intrusion. This was not our first encounter with the summons, of course; they have always showed a tendency to explore and had actually entered the demon realm several times in the past. Their incursions have always been met with fierce resistance and resulted in what you would call a war. Of course, to demon-kind war has very different connotations, since it's so much harder to kill us."

"You said you were immortal," the Hokage interrupted.

"The _Bijuu _are immortal; other demons are just very hard to kill. Even in the worst wars it's actually very rare for a demon to permanently die. Instead they merely lose some of their power or energy, or in extreme cases lose cohesion entirely for a long period of time. They will eventually recover, however.

"At any rate, our relationship with the outer realm was set by that first encounter, and they have always met us with hostility thereafter. This was the first time we had met in the human realm and they reacted as they always did, by attacking us. And, as they always did, they lost. Our battle did considerable damage to the human realm, however, and that's where Kami got involved.

"You see, Kami _also _views the human realm as under his protection, and unlike the summons Kami has the power to enforce his rule. Apparently one of his laws is that the human realm is to be considered neutral ground; any damage caused by battles that were not instigated by the natives will be punished."

Sarutobi's eyes widened. "Then you-"

"Yes, I would not have started anything. Unfortunately for you," he said, patting his stomach where the seal was located, "this most certainly counts as instigation."

"Then why would the Death God seal you away if you were not at fault," the Hokage pointed out, thinking he had found a flaw in the Bijuu's story.

"That is an entirely separate law," Kuushou replied easily. "You'll notice that he said quite clearly that demon-kind do not fall under his domain. Without studying the jutsu used to summon the Death God, however, I could not tell you what that law is, merely what it does. My best guess is that it is some form of exchange; the lives of everyone and everything in the area to seal the target.

"Getting back to the matter at hand, since the summons started the war, they were held accountable for the damage. As part of their reparations, they had to give up their right to travel the realms."

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully, reconciling what the Bijuu had told him with what Jiraiya had gathered from the Toads and his own discussions with Enma and coming up short; there were some definite gaps in the story. "How are the Summon Tribes able to travel the realms now?"

"Strictly speaking, they don't. When you summon one of them, you actually get what amounts to a very powerful and durable clone; the real summon is still in the outer realm."

"I see, that would explain why they never retain their wounds... except for when Gamabunta fought you. How does that work?"

Kuushou smirked, holding up his hand and letting a small bit of his youki curl off of it. The red energy streamed into the air and waved slowly about, causing the Hokage to tense slightly. Kuushou noted that none of the seal in the room flared in warning or reacted to his youki in any discernible fashion. "That... is something you don't need to know," he said finally, still smirking.

He was of course leaving out a great deal of information, information that would either present the Bijuu in a more menacing light or that could possibly be used against demon-kind in the future. His youki, as with that of his brethren, was actually incredibly dangerous to the Outlings, which is part of the reason they reacted so negatively to the Bijuu's presence in the human realm. Damage inflicted by the Bijuu went far beyond the physical where Outlings were concerned, and his own youki was worse still. Gamabunta was lucky the residual youki in his wounds had been pulled into the seal along with the rest of his energy, or the Outling would not have survived the hour.

"How do you know what happens when we summon one of them?"

"The contract spells it out rather clearly," Kuushou replied offhandedly.

The Hokage blinked slowly before asking, "You can read the contract? What language is it?"

Kuushou shook his head. "Let's save that topic for another time, shall we?" Jiraiya's summation of the terms of the contract had been quite accurate, actually, if lacking in the particulars. Allowing the Hokage to think there was more information to be gained than there actually was would strengthen his position for later talks.

The Hokage frowned, but didn't press the issue. "Why were the Summon Tribes on the verge of extinction?" he asked next.

Kuushou shrugged again. "They lost _badly,_" he answered. And the Bijuu _may_ have traveled to the Outer Realm and _may _have laid waste to great swaths of it in retaliation for their attacks in the human realm. Another bit of knowledge Sarutobi didn't need to know just yet, if ever. Kuushou chuckled slightly, remembering his personal visit to the lands of the Dragon Tribe. That tribe had been particularly aggressive in their attacks in the demon realm and he had taken great pleasure in wiping them out permanently. That they were also the ones who had killed Ryuudo – or so it had appeared at the time – may have also had something to do with it.

Yes, he had enjoyed that very much indeed.

"If the Summons are so outmatched, why would they continue to attack you?"

Kuushou shrugged again. "Why does Kiba insist that he can beat me every time we fight? Why do the minor villages insist on competing with Konoha? They just can't admit that they have no chance, and so continue to throw themselves into battle again and again."

The Hokage knew the the Bijuu wasn't telling him everything, but he had no idea what it would be or how to pull it out of him. Frowning deeper in frustration, he moved on.

"That still doesn't explain why the Summon Tribes can't share that knowledge."

"That was my sister's idea, actually. You see, the Summon Tribes had been visiting the human realm for a long time, but no humans have ever traveled the realms, have they? Which means that the Summon Tribes never shared that knowledge before, preferring to keep it to themselves. However, they had also become rather used to dealing with humans on a frequent basis, and certain aspects of their existence had become dependent on your kind. Now that they could no longer travel freely, it seemed rather fitting that their prior secrecy come back to haunt them. And, as the 'injured party', we had the right to influence their punishment to a certain extent."

Sarutobi mulled that over. He got the feeling that the animosity between the Summon Tribes and the Bijuu went a lot deeper than he was making it seem, but there was also a certain amount of truth there. Enma himself had admitted that the Summon Tribes had been visiting the human realm for thousands of years, and yet no humans that he knew of had ever traveled the realms without the Summon Tribes' assistance. In fact, before the Toads made Jiraiya that offer, Sarutobi didn't think any human even knew there was such a thing as another realm. He had certainly not been aware of it on the few occasions he visited the home of the Monkeys.

"If the Summon Tribes are forbidden from talking about the other realms, then why could they tell us now?"

"That I do not know the answer to. As they have not triggered Kami's wrath, however, they did not violate their punishment in doing so. I myself would be most interested in finding out what loophole they have discovered. How _did _you find out?"

"That doesn't seem relevant to our discussion," the Hokage replied quickly.

Kuushou scowled. "If you are going to refuse to answer my questions then I don't see much purpose in answering yours."

"You are attempting to convince me you mean no harm to this village," the Hokage countered, a matching scowl forming on his own face, "something which you have yet to accomplish."

Kuushou's face settled back into a neutral expression as he eyed the Hokage. The old man was proving rather stubborn, despite the many painful revelations he had endured so far. Upon further consideration, it shouldn't be so surprising, though – the man had been Hokage for the majority of his life and he would surely have experience dealing with unpleasant topics.

"Then it would seem we are at an impasse, Hokage, as you still seem to think you can dictate the terms of this conversation. I am not some foolish child or insubordinate ninja to be reprimanded. I am older than you by millennia, and have led a village of my own for centuries."

"So you claim," the Hokage pointed out. "There is no actual proof of any of that." His expression shifted into a triumphant smirk as he stared at the Bijuu expectantly.

Kuushou's face darkened and twisted into a snarl, and he almost lashed out to destroy the old man where he sat. Almost.

Instead, his face cleared and he began chuckling, startling the Hokage.

"Oh, you're good, aren't you?" Kuushou said, his voice filled with mirth. "You've been trying to play me this whole time." The Hokage's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he mastered his expression once again, but that was all the confirmation Kuushou needed. "You've been trying to trick me into revealing something, either by shocking me with the explosive seals, playing up your defeated attitude, or pretending to dismiss everything I have said in this conversation as a fabrication."

The Hokage didn't reply, although there was a calculating gleam in his eye.

"A dangerous approach, to try my temper so, but you've already shown that you were prepared to sacrifice your own life to defend this village."

Kuushou lapsed into thoughtful silence for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Very well, I'll play along for a bit. Let's look at things from your perspective, shall we?" He stood and moved closer to the Hokage's desk as he began to pace back and forth.

"I think we can both agree that I am intelligent, or at least sentient, so I can possibly be reasoned with. At the very least I am not a mindless beast, yes?" As he spoke, he released several small streams of youki from his feet and sent them towards the Hokage, making sure that they were hidden from the old man's view. The released youki began to pool under the desk, out of sight.

The Hokage nodded carefully, betraying no emotion.

"Have I done anything in my time as Naruto to harm this village?" Kuushou asked. He kept careful watch on the seals around the room as he continued to pace back and forth, but none of them showed any signs of reacting to his youki. The Hokage seemed similarly unaware, as expected. His experiments with Ino had shown that when he _twisted _his youki the right way it was very difficult for humans to detect. The seals gave off enough chakra of their own to mask the few traces that remained.

The Hokage frowned before replying, "Not that I am aware of, no."

"So we have two options to explain my behavior... either I have no intention of harming this village, or I am still too weak to do so. Would you agree with that analysis?" The youki began seeping through the Hokage's sandals and into his skin. It was incredibly fortunate that he had taken the time to experiment within the Forest of Death and managed to figure out how to send his youki into other people's bodies without being detected. He would have been forced to take a far more direct approach otherwise.

The Hokage watched him warily. "There is also the possibility that you have managed to harm this village in ways that we have yet to detect, or that you are biding your time for some reason other than inability to act," he added.

"You must think very highly of my subtlety and patience, then," Kuushou said, smiling pleasantly. "I'm flattered."

The rest of the youki hidden under the desk exploded upwards, wrapping around Sarutobi's form and slamming him into the wall in the blink of an eye. The youki already present within the Hokage's body was hard at work disrupting his chakra control. Despite the sudden and swift attack Kuushou barely managed to interrupt no less than three separate techniques the Hokage had tried to perform in those first moments. He personally could only recognize two of them as the kawarimi and some variation of a clone technique. The third was a complete unknown.

The Hokage's eyes widened in shock as he felt his techniques fail. He swiftly came to the conclusion that the Bijuu was responsible for that, though for the life of him he couldn't imagine how it could be accomplished. He tried to activate the warning seals located around the office, but that chakra pulse too was disrupted.

Abandoning that approach, he paused to take stock of his situation. He quickly noted with some surprise that he did not feel any pain despite the tailed beast's chakra that was holding him against the wall. His mouth was still free, as well.

"You won't get away with this," he said, his voice filled with equal parts anger and conviction. "Even if you kill me the other ninja in the village will fight you."

"And you are still missing the point, old man," Kuushou growled. "You are completely powerless, yet still alive. If I am capable of defeating you in any fashion, do you honestly believe there is a single ninja in this entire village I couldn't take? In any other village? How many times have I been this close to you, or even closer? How many times could I have killed you before this? How many time could I have killed someone else?"

Kuushou pulled back his youki slowly and deliberately, easing the Hokage to the floor. The Hokage stared at him as he did so, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

Kuushou shook his head. "You refused to believe my words, so if this doesn't convince you that I am perfectly capable of harming this village and have _chosen _not to, then nothing will," he said, settling back into his seat.

"So I ask again, what will it be, Hokage? Are you going to accept that you can work with me, or shall we begin a battle that will result in my banishment and the destruction of this village?"

The Hokage slowly straightened up and moved back to his desk, noting that, other than the overturned chair, no damage had been caused by the Bijuu's attack. He slowly picked up his chair and set it back on its feet before sitting down. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk and his hands laced together in front of his mouth as he simply observed the Bijuu in contemplative silence.

Kuushou forced himself to wait even as he began wondering if he had pushed too far. He was playing a very dangerous game, since he was trying to convince the Hokage he had no intention of destroying Konoha without giving the Hokage enough ammunition to call his bluff. He needed to gain the upper hand in some fashion, but he was all too aware that the combined might of Konoha would eventually overwhelm his defenses. He could outlast any one ninja, or even a group of them. _All _of them would be able to muster more than enough firepower to penetrate his youki and destroy his human body, thus banishing him from the human realm.

"What is your name?" the Hokage asked finally, his voice neutral once again.

Kuushou relaxed slightly. "Kuushou," he replied. That the Hokage was asking this now showed that the old man was finally accepting him as an individual to converse with and understand rather than an abstract threat to be studied and negated... or so he hoped, anyway.

"Kuushou," the Hokage repeated slowly. "What do you want?"

"Long-term? I want to find and free my brethren, and prevent anyone from ever sealing us again."

The Hokage nodded slowly. Given what he now knew – assuming that Kuushou's words were at least mostly honest, anyway – that answer was to be expected. "And you do not intend to seek revenge on the people who have sealed you and your... brethren?"

"Ah, now that's an interesting question," Kuushou said, smiling slightly. "I'm sure that _you _mean Konoha and the other ninja villages, but that's a mistake."

The Hokage frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

"While the Hidden Villages may take credit for defeating the 'tailed beasts', you were not the ones who originally attacked us and sealed us. That particular distinction goes to a group known as Akatsuki. The Hidden Villages don't matter in the end, but Akatsuki I will wipe from existence."

The Hidden Villages would also have their price to pay, but they were a mere nuisance compared to the real threat of Akatsuki. Akatsuki was the group that had created the seals in the first place, the group that had sealed his brethren. Once he and the rest of the Bijuu were free and Akatsuki destroyed, then they would consider the fate of the Elemental Nations. And really, after how useful Konoha had proven to be, he couldn't muster much anger towards the village anymore. That Ino wouldn't like it was, of course, the deciding factor. What his brethren wanted was far more important than meaningless, if satisfying, destruction.

Suna, on the other hand, had no such protection. The only question was whether Ryuudo would handle it himself or allow his brethren to participate.

"I've never heard of this... Akatsuki," the Hokage said slowly. "If they were the ones responsible, is it not possible that they were wiped out when you destroyed your seal the first time?"

"I'm sure at least some of them were," Kuushou replied, "but I have come across information that the group survived, or has reformed and become active once more in the years since."

"What information?" the Hokage asked.

Kuushou shook his head. "I don't think we've reached the point where we can fully trust each other yet... unless you want to ask my earlier question about how the Summon Tribes were able to talk to you?"

The Hokage inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the point. "Another time, perhaps," he replied. "So, your attention is focused on this Akatsuki as the group responsible?"

"Yes."

"And you are willing to... forgive Konoha for attacking you?" His mouth twisted around the words as if they had a bitter taste.

Kuushou shrugged. "Honestly, my situation is not without its benefits, and knowing what I know now, I can understand why you reacted as you did, even if you were mistaken in your beliefs. I would not say that I have forgiven or forgotten, but I have no need or desire to seek further retribution from this village."

"Then I think...," the Hokage said slowly, "that we may be able to come to an understanding."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kuushou said honestly. "Our mutual destruction would have benefited no one but our enemies."

The Hokage grimaced, but nodded.

"So what now?" Kuushou asked.

"I need time to think on everything we have discussed so far. I am willing to trust you to a point, but I _will _verify as much as I can."

"Of course," Kuushou said, waving off the Hokage's words. "Just as I will be watching carefully to make sure you do not change your mind once I am away from the village on some mission."

The Hokage smirked. "I won't claim that the thought didn't occur to me," he admitted.

"There's something else you should keep in mind, Hokage.," Kuushou said slowly, teasingly. "You may be aware of the potential consequences of making me an enemy, but you should also consider the benefits of becoming my ally. I find that work as a ninja can be highly entertaining, and am inclined to continue as such for the foreseeable future."

The Hokage nodded slowly. "That is indeed something to consider," he admitted.

Kuushou grinned. "And don't forget that my family will need somewhere to stay in the human realm, somewhere friendly and accommodating. Other villages don't treat their jinchuuriki well at all, which makes Konoha rather appealing in contrast, wouldn't you say?"

The Hokage's eyes widened as he contemplated what Kuushou was suggesting. There were risks, quite a few of them, but the potential benefits, in terms of both power and knowledge...

Kuushou smirked when he saw the Hokage considered his words. "So, shall we meet again? Say... in a week?" he said, interrupting the Hokage's musings.

"Yes... that should be sufficient time," the Hokage muttered, shaking off his thoughts. "You do realize I'm going to have to reveal your real identity to certain people?"

Kuushou shrugged. "If you must. I certainly can't stop you. Just be very careful about who finds out... I may not seek retribution for past events, but I will not tolerate any future attacks on myself or my brethren."

"I will keep that in mind," the Hokage replied tersely. "If anyone asks, we have been discussing your inevitable promotion to chuunin and some additional duties and training that you may take on, with the potential for fast-tracking you to ANBU. I asked you to keep the exact details to yourself, but you are free to share that much. As far as ANBU are concerned, we discussed that topic in addition to some recent developments in your condition that I wanted to let you know about privately."

He deactivated the seals protecting the office before he continued.

"Make sure you think carefully on what I've said, Naruto-kun," he said for the benefit of the people outside the office. "It's an important decision and you should consult with your family and teammates before committing yourself to anything."

"I understand, Hokage-jii-san," Kuushou replied solemnly. "Thank you for this opportunity." He turned and opened the door, revealing the ANBU clustered nearby.

"Of course, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said pleasantly, smiling. If his smile was a little strained and didn't quite reach his eyes, no one noticed. "Any time."

* * *

-July 23rd, 347 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"What did the Hokage want to talk about?" Ino asked once Kuushou had returned home.

"He'd come across some new information regarding the state of the seal," Kuushou replied, giving Ino a significant look.

Ino blinked for a moment before she paled. "Is everything alright?"

"We had a... frank discussion about things. It's hard to say right now, but I think everything will work out favorably," he said.

Ino nodded shakily, the color slowly returning to her face. "That's good," she said finally. All sorts of questions were swimming through her head, but she was mindful of their surroundings. Any open discussions would have to wait until they could retreat to their training ground, since that was the only place they felt comfortable using the Mind Delve. Naruto could wake them should anyone approach, and if anyone was curious they could simply claim to be taking a break or napping.

"By the way," she said suddenly, changing the subject, "after you left, Temari mentioned the idea of taking another tour tomorrow, by which she means she wants to hang out with us. I don't think they have many friends back in Suna," Ino admitted, looking pensive.

"They probably don't, given their situation. Anyway, that sounds like a good idea. In fact, that will give me the chance to have that talk with Gaara that I wanted to have today. I'll need your help to keep his siblings occupied for as long you can while we have our chat."

"Of course," Ino replied.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully that was worth the wait.**

**Not everything has been resolved, but I couldn't justify having them work through their (considerable) differences in a single afternoon. That process will be slow and painful, but there is a foundation for it now.  
**

**The backstory of the Summons' current situation and their relationship with the Bijuu is still missing a couple of pieces, even with Kuushou's perspective. I have the answers in my head, but it'll be a while before they are detailed in the story. Some facets will be just interesting trivia, others will be rather important to the plot.  
**

**The last bit serves as a teaser for the next chapter, which will be posted Sunday.**

**Looking over my story notes, there's a surprisingly large amount of material to cover prior to the third phase in terms of plot importance not least of which is the second meeting between Sarutobi and Kuushou.  
**

**I also have some random ideas for omake (that may or may not actually be canon for this story). Things like what would happen if X found out about Kuushou first, or how would some of Kuushou's abilities play out in a less serious setting, or other misadventures in jutsu experimentation. Is that something you guys would want to read? If so, I'd probably post those in a separate story. Reading "Odd Ideas" and "What If?" by Rorschach's Blot also makes me want to start a random story idea file of my own, though I'm trying to focus on this.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading!  
**


	30. Friendly Advice

-July 24th, 347 NE-

-2:00 AM-

-Sarutobi Compound-

"This had better be important, Jiraiya," the Hokage snapped. His sleep – fitful and restless as it may have been – had been interrupted for the fourth night in a row and he was more than willing to spread the misery at this point.

"It is," Jiraiya replied, his voice completely serious for once. "One of my contacts has come across information that a major disruption of some sort will occur during the third phase, and several people within Konoha are going to be targeted for kidnapping… including Naruto."

The Hokage was instantly on alert, and one of his ANBU appeared kneeling nearby in response to his signal. "Bring Shikaku and Dragon here immediately, priority black," Sarutobi said. He turned back to Jiraiya as the ANBU disappeared. "While we wait for them to get here, why don't you bring me up to speed on Naruto-kun's training."

Jiraiya blinked at the odd shift and topic, but shrugged. They had a few minutes to kill and he certainly didn't mind talking about his latest student.

"Well, he's picked up the Rasengan at a rapid pace. He's blown through the first two stages without a problem and is currently working on the third and final stage. Once he gets past that I intend to have him start experimenting with Minato's theories on adding elemental manipulation to it."

"How is his progress in the sealing arts?"

"Boy is a damn genius," Jiraiya said, smiling widely. "I haven't found a seal yet that he couldn't break down and analyze within an hour, tops. Some of those would have taken me a day or more when I was learning. I couldn't break down some of those that fast _now_."

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. That would make sense, given his desire to free himself and the other Bijuu from their seals. "How is he at creating seals?"

"Still damn good, though not quite at the same level. He does better at combining existing seals in unusual ways, but I haven't seen him craft a truly new seal on the fly yet. He'll get there, though."

"What types of seals have you focused on?"

"Nothing specific," Jiraiya said. "I've started with all the B-rank seals I know and we're working our way up to the A-ranks. Once he gets through those I'm going to give him a scenario he has to create a new seal for before we move on to S-ranks."

"Have you decided what that task will be?"

"Not yet. I'm thinking it will be something to complement his massive chakra reserves, or perhaps something that utilizes his medical knowledge."

"Consider having him create a seal that prevents the placement or functioning of other seals in an area or on an object," the Hokage said.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "That'd be a hell of a seal," he replied musingly. "S-rank, easily. I was thinking of something a little easier."

"The Hyuuga heiress is on his team," the Hokage answered. "I think you'll find he would be quite motivated to do so." That the Caged Bird Seal had absolutely nothing to do with his motivation wasn't something Jiraiya needed to know right now.

Both eyebrows rose this time. "I see… something going on I need to know about?"

_Yes. _"Not at the moment," the Hokage replied, closing his eyes in contemplation. "Consider it… insurance." Kuushou would understand the message, Sarutobi was sure. Such a seal would likely take a long time to perfect, so it was a small gesture on his part that could strengthen their uneasy alliance.

"Fair enough, Sensei."

Further discussion was put on hold as Shikaku and the ANBU Commander arrived. Once they were all gathered in Sarutobi's office, Jiraiya gave his report regarding the possible disruption during the third phase.

"My contact didn't have anything specific that would reveal who was behind it or what the purpose could be – other than allowing the targets to be kidnapped, anyway."

Shikaku shook his head. "Any distraction large enough to prevent us from pursuing the kidnappers would be far too risky for that sole purpose. I suspect there are multiple groups involved in this, or at least some groups that are willing to take advantage of the situation for their own gain."

"I agree," the Hokage said, nodding respectfully at Shikaku, "which is going to make any potential response on our part incredibly difficult. We have at least three different types of targets: children with active bloodlines, a tokubetsu jounin who was subjected to experimentation as a child, and a jinchuuriki. We have to at least acknowledge the possibility that there are three, or more, distinct groups involved in this."

"What about the Eastern Dragons?" Hizashi asked. Everyone in the room was aware of his identity, and he relished the chance to talk without that damn mask distorting his voice. "What are the chances that they are directly involved, and how much can we trust their information?"

"Normally I would say that they would stay out of something like this," Jiraiya said, "but it's been a long time since they've suffered any sort of serious setback. The current leadership used to have a healthy fear of what ninja are capable of, but that can always change.

"As for the information… that something will happen I consider a fact at this point; there's too much other evidence to support it. That it won't target the Fire Lord or his court… hard to say."

Shikaku spoke next. "A successful attack on the Fire Lord within Konoha could very well destroy our reputation and quickly lead to the ruin of the village. An _almost _successful attack, on the other hand, would unleash the Fire Lord's wrath on the perpetrator. I would expect someone to go through the motions but make it obvious it's a feint. If the Fire Lord is never seriously threatened I don't think he would bother with more than a token response in return. A good feint would still be enough to tie up some of our best ANBU, though, so I would expect that. Same with any other dignitaries."

Jiraiya grimaced. "Exactly how many dignitaries are we talking about? I haven't exactly been focused on the details for the third phase lately."

"The Fire Lord, his wife, and his two youngest children," the Hokage replied. "The Wind Lord, his wife, and his second daughter. Both of course will be attended by their respective retinues. No country has officially claimed Oto as their ninja village, so we don't expect any nobles to attend for them."

The Hokage took a deep breath, then continued. "Then there's the representatives from the Lands of Water, Lightning, Rivers, and Hot Water, not to mention all the prominent merchants and guild masters who will be attending. In all there's over three hundred people who could be considered high value targets for someone."

"And we can't afford to let anything happen to any of them… troublesome."

"Some would definitely be worse than others, but, in essence, yes."

The room settled into an uncomfortable silence as each contemplated the possible outcomes.

"Now then," the Hokage said, "we already have quite a few plans in place for attacks, but they could always use review. We have just over a week to update our plans in light of this new information, so I suggest we get started."

* * *

-Same Day-

-1:30 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino, Temari, and Kankuro were currently sitting in the kitchen, chatting about various topics and generally just getting to know each other. Baki and Kakashi were talking with Inoichi in the backyard, and Gaara and Naruto were currently sitting in the living room where they were ostensibly talking quietly about their respective experiences as jinchuuriki. Given their respective personalities, the fact that Naruto seemed to be doing all of the talking would not strike anyone as particularly odd.

An observer would also be hard pressed to detect the small thread of youki that currently connected Naruto and Gaara. Even if they did, they would not have been able to understand its purpose.

* * *

-Same Day-

-1:30 PM-

-Inside Gaara's Seal-

Within the seal, the desert stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction. The sun hung high in the sky as its rays beat down upon the desert. There were almost no landmarks or deviations to break up the monotony, just flat, featureless sand everywhere except for one small area.

The exception was a small patch of grass in the middle of the area. Placed upon the grass was a small, round stone table with three chairs around it. All three chairs were currently occupied. Kuushou sat in one seat, his appearance currently that of his container. Two Gaaras sat across from him, one with red hair and one with light brown hair.

Kuushou turned to the brown-haired Gaara first. "How much do you think he can handle at the moment?"

"All of it, I'd say," Ryuudo replied, his voice serious. Gaara observed the exchange curiously, his eyes shifting from one to the other.

"Really?"

"Judging from what you left me during the sealing, he'll take it even better than Ino did. No preconceptions to worry about."

"Alright then, it's your call." Turning to the red-haired Gaara, he cleared his throat. "I may have misrepresented my situation somewhat during our earlier conversations," he began.

"You're Kuushou," Gaara said calmly.

"You see, when- uh. What?"

"When you first appeared in the seal, you were in the form of a giant nine-tailed fox," Gaara stated, his tone flat, almost bored. "You hesitated before answering when I asked if you were a jinchuuriki. Every time you've appeared here you've been alone, whereas Ryuudo is always with me. Your mannerisms do not change significantly between the outside world and here, however, so you aren't two different people. Your prior conversation and the ease with which you addressed Ryuudo confirmed my suspicions."

Kuushou gaped at Gaara even as Ryuudo started laughing. Recovering quickly, he snapped his jaw shut and nodded uncertainly.

"Uh, well... yes, I am," he finally replied.

"What happened to your container?" Gaara asked, causing Ryuudo's laughter to trail off.

"He died during the sealing," Kuushou said.

Gaara nodded slowly, considering that answer. His eyes shifted from Ryuudo back to Kuushou for a few moments before he shrugged. "Very well. What did you wish to talk about?"

"That's it?" Kuushou asked, surprised.

"I am still alive and in control, and as far as I can tell, other than for this particular piece of information, you have been honest with me. Technically, even then you never outright lied since the body you are sealed within is a jinchuuriki."

"It's alright, brother," Ryuudo interjected, nodding firmly. "Gaara understands."

Kuushou nodded slowly, shaking off his surprise. "Well, that will certainly makes things a lot easier. That was the most important issue I wanted to talk about, but there are some other things you need to be aware of. First off, the Hokage knows who I am now."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly and Ryuudo stiffened. "Does he know about me?" Ryuudo asked tightly.

"Not for certain, but he probably suspects. For the time being we should claim that you are recovering and unconscious. That work for you, Gaara?"

Gaara just shrugged. "It does not matter to me. I do not answer to the Hokage."

Kuushou grinned. "Don't be so quick to decide on that. I mentioned the possibility that all nine of us could reside in Konoha and he seemed receptive."

Gaara shook his head firmly. "I have... business, in Suna."

Kuushou's eyes turned to Ryuudo, noting his darkened face and angry scowl before he looked back to Gaara. "Will that business leave the village intact?"

Gaara shrugged again. "It depends on how hard the Kazekage fights."

"I see... Ryuudo, how good is his control over your power?"

"It's complete shit," Ryuudo replied succinctly.

Gaara frowned. "My connection to my sand feels stronger that it ever has before, and I can control it far more easily."

"Alright, let me amend that then... _almost _complete shit."

Kuushou barked a laugh. "You don't honestly think sand is the limit of his power, do you?"

Gaara blinked slowly. "I have never heard of any other powers of his," he said, turning to look expectantly at Ryuudo.

The Bijuu just shook his head, smirking. "My brethren didn't name me the Flowing Earth because I threw dust at them. We'll work on it," he said, turning back to Kuushou. "It might take us awhile, but he will be worthy of my name."

"Alright, in the meantime... do you honestly think you can take on a Kage?"

Gaara frowned. "I _will _kill him," he said firmly.

"And I'm not trying to stop you, I'm trying to make sure you actually succeed. Let's assume you could kill the Kazekage – what will you do about the other ninja? What are you going to do after you succeed?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as he dies."

"What about Temari and Kankuro?" Kuushou pressed, frowning.

Gaara's eyes widened and he frowned. "They... I don't know."

Ryuudo shook his head. "You have to get your priorities in order, my friend. Killing the bastard that did this to us is good and all – I'm all for it myself, no question – but in the end he's irrelevant. Family comes first, always."

"Always," Kuushou agreed, shooting a grin at Ryuudo. "Besides, don't you think they would want to participate as well? From what Ino has told me, Temari and Kankuro have their own bones to pick with him."

Gaara nodded thoughtfully. "They aren't as strong as I am, though. I don't want them to get hurt."

"A noble sentiment, my friend," Ryuudo said, "but you are looking at it the wrong way. I myself am not as powerful as Kuushou here, but that does not mean I am helpless."

Kuushou smirked. "If they are weak now, then simply make them stronger. And don't let Ryuudo sell himself short, either. Each of the Bijuu are capable of certain feats none of the others can perform. You will find that our greatest works are a result of working together."

"Such as?" Gaara asked curiously.

"Hmm... it took four of us to create a permanent, two-way portal from the demon realm to the human realm, for instance," Kuushou finally answered.

"Realms? What do you mean?"

Kuushou sighed. "I'll let Ryuudo explain later. The point is, do you have any abilities or skills that complement your siblings own?"

Gaara shook his head slowly. "I... never tried to work with them like that," he admitted, his head dropping slightly.

"Give it some thought. Better yet, why don't you get your entire team together and talk it over. Even if you don't come up with anything immediately, you will eventually. In the meantime, what jutsu do you have aside from your, ah, fledgling control over Ryuudo's powers?"

Gaara's frown deepened. "None."

"Yeah... I was afraid of that. How's your chakra control?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm... taijutsu?"

"I never fight at close-range."

"Do you have _anything _aside from the sand?"

Gaara just shook his head mutely.

"Well... on the upside, you're already incredibly dangerous with just that, so you've got a good base to work from. I doubt we'll get much of anything done before the exams, but I suspect Ryuudo will be able to teach you a few tricks. I've got a shortcut that might help you in the meantime," Kuushou said, extending his hand.

A small stream of youki poured across the table where Ryuudo reached out his hand and pulled it in. He cocked his head to the side and pondered the information Kuushou had given him before his face split into a wide grin. "Oh, that's just _mean_."

Kuushou had a matching grin on his face. "Isn't it just?"

Ryuudo turned his grin towards Gaara.

"Earth clones," he said, before bursting into wild laughter.

* * *

-July 26th, 347 NE-

-11:30 AM-

-Konoha-

"Hey Sakura," Ino called out, jogging forward to catch up with her friend. The pink-haired girl was currently walking down the road towards the Market District but paused to allow Ino to join her.

"Hey Ino," Sakura replied, smiling. "You guys done with training already?"

"Nah, we're just breaking for lunch. Naruto's been off training with Jiraiya this morning so it was just me and Hinata."

"I still can't believe Naruto is training under one of the Sannin. That is so cool," Sakura said.

Ino shrugged. "It's mostly been seals and a couple of jutsu." It might have been more impressive if he'd actually managed to sign the scroll for the Toad summons. She'd grown up hearing stories about the power behind a summoning contract, and having one that close yet not being able to use it was a major disappointment. On the other hand, Naruto had promised to teach her the Rasengan once he had mastered it, She was definitely looking forward to that.

Sakura nodded uncertainly. "I see," she said, though her voice made it clear that she really didn't.

"So what has your team been up to?" Ino asked, changing the subject.

"Kurenai-sensei has us focusing on physical conditioning and taijutsu during our team sessions, though all of us have other things to work on as well. I'm training to maintain a genjutsu while using another jutsu."

Ino whistled lowly. "That would be damn useful," she mused. "How's that going?"

Sakura frowned. "Not well," she admitted. "Kurenai-sensei insists it's just a matter of getting used to it, but I haven't even managed to pull it off once, even with the simple genjutsu."

"What happens?"

"As soon as I start building up the next jutsu, the genjutsu just falls apart."

"Yeah, but why? Maintaining a genjutsu just requires a small amount of mental focus and a bit of chakra, right?"

"For the simple ones, yeah. The more complex ones take more attention and chakra."

"Well, is it falling apart because you lose focus, or because of the chakra?"

"... focus," Sakura said quietly.

"Ah, you're still pouring everything into each technique," Ino said, nodding sagely. "How is Kurenai helping you with that?"

"She has Shino and Sasuke attacking me while I cast genjutsu. She says if I can pull off genjutsu while dodging attacks then the focus problem should take care of itself."

Ino nodded thoughtfully. "That's one way to do it, I suppose...," she said, trailing off.

"You have another idea?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Ino almost winced at the desperate edge to Sakura's voice. Her friend had not taken her loss in the preliminaries well - she hadn't fallen back into her old habits yet, but her confidence and enthusiasm had definitely taken a blow.

In some ways Ino considered that a personal affront. Sakura was one of her greatest friends, right up there with Shikamaru and Chouji, but she was also the first person Ino had ever really helped using her family's skills. Turning the shy, quiet bookworm into the proud, vivacious girl who could handle any situation and was willing to assert her own opinion even if others disagreed had been Ino's greatest accomplishment to date. She didn't consider her work complete, though, not yet. Sakura was still too quick to seek validation from those around her rather than trusting her own conclusions and her team's loss in the prelims was not helping on that front. Sakura had blossomed when she was included with the other Clan Kids, but at the same time she didn't have a niche, an area where she excelled above all others.

Ino had been ecstatic when Sakura had gotten Kurenai as a teacher and had taken to genjutsu like a fish to water. Finally her friend would have her own area of expertise and _finally _she would feel like she contributed something meaningful to the group. No one had been able to convince the pink-haired girl that she didn't need to prove anything to anyone in the group, that she was already a valued and vital part of their team.

Still, if Sakura needed this to prove to herself that she could keep up with the others, then Ino would help. Fortunately, years spent watching Naruto experiment with some highly unorthodox methods of using jutsu had given her quite a few ideas to help Sakura out.

"Well...," she said slowly, "Kurenai basically wants you to do two things at once, right? Or rather she wants you to focus on dodging and fighting while casting a genjutsu?"

Sakura nodded quickly, her eyes fixed on Ino.

"But you actually focus on casting the genjutsu while dodging and fighting, don't you?"

Sakura blinked. "I... I hadn't thought about it like that, but yeah, I do."

"Well, it's to be expected. You know the point of the exercise is to cast the genjutsu, and you being you will do everything in your power to make it work. Unfortunately, it sounds like you need to do just the opposite. From what you've said, you have to be able to use a genjutsu without really thinking about it."

Sakura blushed and lowered her head, looking vaguely ashamed.

"Hey, none of that!" Ino snapped, pulling Sakura to the side of the road. "Kurenai is known as the Genjutsu Mistress because that's something very, very few ninja can do. She clearly believes you can pull this off, and so do I."

Sakura's eyes widened and she nodded reflexively.

"However, I'd like to think I know you a little better than she does. I'm sure her approach will work eventually, but I think I have an idea that will challenge you in the right way and hopefully move things along faster."

"What is it?" Sakura asked hesitantly. She'd seen what Ino and Naruto considered "challenging" before, and she was more than a little leery of any task along those lines.

"Do you have any genjutsu you can use without handsigns?"

"A handful, yeah," Sakura admitted. "Just the really basic and obvious ones though, like Black Vision and Deafening Burst."

"Perfect!" Ino said, smiling. "Why don't you try using those?"

"Um, I have-"

"At the same time."

"I... isn't that what I've been trying to do?"

"No, no, I mean try launching them simultaneously."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "That's a A-rank skill! People usually don't try that until they're jounin!" she yelped.

"Only because ninja usually manage to do that only after they've already become jounin," Ino said, waving Sakura's objections away. "When you get right down to it, it's just a matter of chakra control. And what rating did your chakra control get during the last test?"

"S," Sakura admitted quietly.

"Exactly."

Sakura's mouth opened and closed several times before she finally asked, "You really think I could do that?"

"Sakura, I _know _you can do it, it's just a question of when."

"And that will help with my genjutsu problem?"

"As I understand what you're trying to do, yes. Even if it doesn't, you'll still have an incredibly useful and versatile skill added to your arsenal," Ino added, smiling.

"Can you do that?" Sakura asked, her curiosity plain.

"Ha! Not even close. My chakra control just barely merits an A-rank."

"Can Naruto do that?"

"Well... he can, but he also cheats."

"Cheats?" Sakura asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Eh, you'll find out eventually. It's not all that important, but you can think of it as something unique to him that lets him use chakra in strange ways. And speaking of Naruto, I'm supposed to be meeting him for lunch."

"Later Ino," Sakura said, smiling gratefully, "and thanks for helping me."

"Anytime, Sakura. That's what friends are for."

* * *

-Same Day-

-12:15 PM-

-Ichiraku's Restaurant-

Ino observed the crowd as she walked into the restaurant and headed for Naruto's personal booth. Teuchi had insisted on created a special booth reserved solely for "Naruto-sama's" use as a gesture of his appreciation. It was tucked away in a quiet corner of the restaurant, shielded from sight. Naruto had added privacy seals to the booth that served to dampen the sounds emanating from the rest of the restaurant and, if fully activated, would allow anyone sitting there complete privacy for as long as they wished it.

That the booth was located conveniently close to the kitchens was not a coincidence.

Aside from Naruto's booth, the restaurant was almost completely packed with both ninja and civilians. Ino noted several Akimichi among the crowd and smiled. Earning an Akimichi's patronage was as close to guaranteed success in Konoha as it got. Not only did the family consume a great deal of food on their own, but they were considered incredibly picky when it came to the taste and quality of their meals. It was very rare that they would venture outside of their own restaurants, but any other restaurant they decided to patronize was either highly successful or rapidly became so.

Ino swiped her hand along the security seal on Naruto's booth, alerting anyone inside that she would be entering. The blurry barrier lowered a moment later to reveal Naruto sitting idly in the booth, alone. He was currently focused on reading a small scroll, but looked up and smiled when Ino settled into her seat.

"Hey Ino-nee-chan," he said, putting the scroll away. "How's Sakura doing?"

Ino snorted. She'd long ago gotten used to how Naruto knew what she'd been up to nearly all of the time. He could sense chakra signatures better than most full-blown sensors and made it a point to keep an eye on Ino at all times. Some might find it rather creepy, but she found it reassuring. She'd have done the same for him if she had the option.

"She's alright," Ino replied. "Kurenai-sensei has them on physical conditioning and she's trying to figure out how to use a jutsu while maintaining a genjutsu. I suggested she practice using two genjutsu at the same time."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "She's got the control for it, though her reserves might be a problem. Would it help if I gave her some advice?"

Ino shook her head. "Not just yet. She needs to make some progress on her own. Once she does then you can step in if she gets stuck."

"Alright," Naruto shrugged. "I went ahead and ordered for you when you started this way. Beef and vegetable ramen with a side of dumplings."

"Thanks. How was the training session with Jiraiya?"

Naruto motioned to the scroll. "Got my first A-rank seal. This one is designed to completely rust through a metal structure over the course of a few hours, less if you don't care about anyone noticing. Other than a couple of tricks to define the boundaries of the effect, it's pretty simple."

"Only you would consider an A-rank seal 'simple'," Ino said, smirking.

He shrugged as he replied, "It is what it is. It's well-designed though; as long as the structure was crafted of mostly the same material, you could swap out the target material and the deterioration effect in a matter of minutes."

He sighed. "I keep hoping for something applicable to the jinchuuriki seals, but nothing yet."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their food, brought to them by Ayame personally. "Here you go Naruto-kun, Ino-chan," she said, smiling widely. "Enjoy!"

They continued to chat about their respective training as they ate, simply enjoying the food and relaxing. Roughly twenty minutes and several more bowls of ramen for Naruto later they were interrupted by someone other than Ayame.

The barrier lowered to reveal a young man of medium height dressed in simple, well-fitting clothes of decent quality. His face showed the wear and tear typical of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors and his hands were lightly scarred, though his light tan indicated he had been spending less time exposed to the sun recently. His brown hair was cropped close to his head and his brown eyes were gentle and kind. His overall posture indicated both physical strength and pride. Ino got the impression of a manual laborer who had recently come into wealth, likely as a result of his own efforts.

"It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun, Ino-chan. Mind if I join you?" the young man asked, his voice a pleasant baritone.

Naruto's eyes widened before a large grin split his face, confusing Ino. "Of course, my friend. Feel free," he said.

Ino eyed the newcomer, trying to place him as he settled into a seat across from her and the barrier rose once again. She thought she knew everyone Naruto did, but she couldn't recall this person.

"You have _got _to tell me how you're doing that," Naruto said, confusing Ino even further.

"I was inspired by your example," the young man replied, smiling softly. "To hide your strength behind a facade of weakness, and then turn that weakness into a new source of strength. I started with my eyes, but it occurred to me that chakra itself could be considered a crutch. This particular use is an unexpected benefit of my efforts."

Ino frowned. Those words reminded her of something in the back of her mind, something important...

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Clever. But, how are you...," he trailed off, making a vague gesture in the air.

The young man rolled up his sleeve, revealing a small woven bracelet. Ino could make out both cloth and paper woven together that gave the bracelet a startling variety of colors. Naruto leaned forward, studying the bracelet intensely.

He finally leaned back, clearly impressed. "Incredible. How quickly can you recover?"

"That is the drawback. It takes at least thirty minutes before I'm at full capacity once again. On the other hand, even if the bracelet were broken or removed I would not be immediately exposed. For my purposes, it works very well. Of course, if you wanted to examine my work and make improvements, I would be most grateful. I understand you are studying under Jiraiya-sama now, and I am certain you would be more capable than I."

"Don't sell yourself short, my friend. That bracelet is a work of art."

"Ok, what's going on?" Ino interrupted, annoyed. "What are you guys talking about? And who _are _you?"

"Our friend here has once more waltzed into Konoha without so much as batting an eyelid, only this time he's in the heart of the village with no one the wiser, all thanks to that little bracelet."

Ino's eyes slowly widened and her mouth dropped open as she stared at the young man sitting across from her. "Itachi?" she asked, her voice strangled.

Itachi nodded, smiling pleasantly. "I trust you have been well, Ino-chan?"

"But- you- how... what?" she finally asked.

Naruto snickered quietly. "I _told _you he was good."

"But he looks _nothing _like Itachi! His hair, his eyes, his face, hell, even his voice is completely different!"

When Itachi spoke next, it was with the cool, even speech she had been accustomed to. "It is all a matter of practice," he said calmly. "Hair can be dyed, contact lenses can be placed in the eyes, and speech patterns and tones can be altered.

"I noticed you evaluating me," he said, his voice returning to its previous warm baritone. "I imagine you concluded I was some sort of laborer who had moved up in the world?"

Ino blinked before blushing slightly in embarrassment. "Well... yeah."

"There is no need for embarrassment," he said, "that is what you are trained to do and what you should have concluded from the available information."

"But... you don't have any calluses from holding weapons," she pointed out. "And you aren't using any jutsu to disguise yourself."

"Not at the moment, no," Itachi replied. "I have concluded that ninja are overly reliant on chakra. Whenever a new technique is invented, someone else will create a technique to counter it. Always their efforts rely on chakra, when purely physical methods are every bit as effective. They simply require a great deal of preparation to pull off correctly. For instance, this a real tan," he said, motioning to his face. "And these are real scars," he added, raising his hands.

"How long did it take you to do all of this?" Ino asked, fascinated. Kakashi had talked to her about specializing in infiltration, but Itachi's presence and words were opening up entirely new avenues of thought.

"Roughly a week," he said, smiling again. "Just because I am not using any chakra _now _does not mean I couldn't use it then. Medical jutsu are surprisingly versatile, as I'm sure Naruto-kun can attest. Of course, all of this would be a moot point if I was unable to hide my chakra, which is part of the reason ninja rarely think about such things."

Naruto grinned. "I'll definitely want to take a thorough look at that bracelet later. I might be able to adapt that for my own use, and I daresay Ino wouldn't mind having the option either."

She just nodded mutely, her mind churning as she thought about all the ways those techniques could be used.

"So, what brings you to Konoha this time, Itachi? Another scroll, perhaps?"

"Not this time, Naruto-kun. I have information that is a little more urgent than that, as well as a request. I'll get to the request later, but as for the information... I was approached by a group of contractors who offer work to missing-nin. They are not aware of my real identity, merely that I have established a good reputation as a freelancer. They offered me a job that would take place within Konoha during the third phase of the Exams."

"Oh?" Naruto said, leaning forward. "And what would this job be?"

"They want me to assassinate Gaara of the Sand."

Ino's eyes widened in shock, but Naruto just nodded thoughtfully. "Any idea who hired them?"

"Nothing I am certain enough to mention."

"Why would they want to kill Gaara?" Ino asked quietly.

Naruto shrugged. "Killing Gaara would release Ryuudo in the middle of Konoha. Given what most ninja think of the tailed beasts, they probably believe Konoha would sustain massive amounts of damage, possibly destroying it entirely or at least weakening it enough for a finishing blow. Were Ryuudo still suffering in Gaara's old seal, they would have been right. There's also the possibility that they just want to weaken Suna by killing its most prominent genin."

Itachi shook his head. "They specified that it must happen while he is within Konoha, preferably while he is in or near the stadium where the third phase is held."

"There you are then," Naruto said.

"We have to tell the Hokage," Ino said, shifting in her seat as if she wanted to rush to the Hokage's Tower right then.

"We will, probably today," Naruto said calmly. "But it is important not to reveal such vital information without getting something in return. I imagine that is where your request comes in?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, I require the assistance of a skilled medic-nin. Very skilled."

"Ah, so you need me or Shizune."

"Yes, possibly both. I attempted to locate Tsunade-sama, but I have been unable to do so and dare not delay much longer lest the damage progress too far."

"Probably just as well you didn't. If she knew who you were, she'd likely try to kill you."

"I see."

"Anyway, what's the problem? You seem perfectly fine."

"It may seem that way, but I'm already noticing symptoms. If my condition continues to progress, it will end up killing me."

"... that would be a problem," Naruto said slowly, staring at Itachi. "Do you mind?" he said, holding up his hand and allowing a bit of youki to curl off of it.

"Please."

Naruto extended his hand and sent youki across the table where it poured into Itachi's body. Silence reigned for nearly a minute before Naruto sat back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'm going to need help for this one," he admitted. "I can see the damage, but I can't tell what's causing it. Short-term I could fix everything, but that wouldn't solve the real problem. I'll see what I can work out."

"Thank you," Itachi said calmly.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Gaara begins learning new tricks, Konoha begins planning to repel the "disruption", and another facet of the situation is revealed.  
**

**Unless something changes, I'll only be posting one chapter a week from now until the end of November, possibly through December. I haven't been able to spend as much time reviewing, editing, and brainstorming as I would like, and I want to nip that in the bud before it starts hurting the story.**

**I will be posting a new story for the omakes, since so many people are interested. Most of them will be pretty short (a few hundred words), just random ideas that keep bouncing around my head and distracting me. There might be a few longer form ones mixed in, and possibly some story ideas for future projects. It will be updated infrequently at best.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


	31. Always Be Prepared

-July 26th, 347 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Otafuku-gai-

Three men sat around a small table in a large, dimly lit room. They appeared to be the only occupants, but each knew that nearly a dozen servants and nearly thirty guards were scattered all around them. They were in the heart of their territory, in a room few knew about and even fewer would ever see, but they had not lived as long as they had, nor accumulated their considerable power, by being careless.

Once upon a time each of these men had joined the Eastern Dragons as lowly couriers or thugs, struggling to survive on their meager pay and attempting to impress their superiors with their loyalty and diligence. Many of their comrades had striven to do the same, but only these three had both the determination and cunning necessary to navigate the treacherous waters of the criminal underworld and rise to the very top.

Among outsiders, it is commonly believed that the Eastern Dragons have a single leader, a single individual who holds the reins of power in an iron grip and answers to no one but himself. In the past this was indeed the case, but that changed forty years ago when these men joined forces and agreed to share control. Their alliance was rocky and tense at first, but the astonishing results they obtained when pooling their knowledge and resources convinced them to continue on their present path.

Four decades had forged bonds between them that would put all but the closest-knit of families to shame. These men moved with a single purpose, their minds unified in the pursuit of their common goals: power and wealth.

"All of our targets have been assigned," the first said, sipping sake slowly from a dish in his hand.

"Have our clients submitted their advance payments?" the second asked.

"The last was delivered yesterday, two days ahead of schedule," the first replied.

"Excellent," the third said. "And our personal requests?"

The second smiled. "Those have been accepted as well. Each clan compound has a group that will attempt to infiltrate it during the disruption. We do not expect success on every front, but any secrets obtained should be very lucrative, either for our own use or to sell to other Hidden Villages. The assassination contracts for certain of our rivals attending the Exams have also been accepted."

The first frowned slightly. "We have acted decisively to take advantage of the situation, but where do we stand if Orochimaru's plan falls through?"

The room was silent for a few moments as each considered that outcome.

"Our reputation would take a small hit," the third conceded, "but we would be largely unaffected. Our stake in the situation is mainly financial, and with the exception of a few advance payments we stand to lose nothing should the snake's plan fail. In the worst case it would take us roughly a year to recover our losses."

"And if we succeed," the second said slowly, "then not only will we make considerable profits, but our reputation in other nations will rise as well. Not to mention the obstacles that will be removed from our path."

The three men shared grins as they toasted one another.

"The Dragons Rise," they said as one.

* * *

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Hokage's Tower-

"The promotion assessment hearing for tokubetsu jounin Anko Mitarashi is hereby called to order. Attending are: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage; Shikaku Nara, Jounin Commander; Hiroshi Akimichi, Chuunin Division Three Commander; and Anko Mitarashi, promotion candidate. All other interested parties have previously submitted their assessments for the review of this panel," Hiroshi said.

Anko stood stiffly in the middle of the room, for once wearing clothing similar to the normal ninja uniform. She still wore her trenchcoat, but she wore a short-sleeved black shirt over her mesh shirt and had swapped her mini-skirt for a pair of black pants. She had her hands clasped behind her back and her head held high.

The panel was seated at a long table in front of her, documents and scrolls spread out across the table. Everything from her mission records to personal recommendations had been gathered for this meeting, and some of the more prominent documents had been brought along so that they could be referenced during the discussion.

The Hokage cleared his throat and began. "Mitarashi-san," he said formally, "I would first like to commend you on your nearly flawless mission record. You have completed a total of twenty-four A-rank missions, sixty-seven B-rank missions, and over three hundred C- and D-rank missions. In addition, you have participated in two S-rank operations and received glowing reports from the commanding officers of those missions.

"To date, you have only failed seven missions, and five of those were aborted due to grossly inaccurate intelligence. I note that the other two missions were failed due to a tactical retreat in order to bring an injured comrade to medical aid. That too deserves to be commended.

"I have made an official note in your record that, to this point, you have not failed a single mission where this panel feels you could have reasonably succeeded or should have continued. In light of this we are awarding a bonus equal to mission pay for a single A-rank mission."

Anko stood a little straighter at the praise and smiled. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Thank _you, _Mitarashi-san. It is because of ninja such as yourself that Konoha continues its legacy of strength and success." The Hokage paused for a moment, setting aside one scroll and picking up another. He cleared his throat again and continued. "However, while your personal skill is not in doubt, that is only a part of what makes a successful jounin. The difference between a tokubetsu jounin and a full jounin lies not in personal skill, but in leadership and discernment."

Anko swallowed and shifted uneasily, her smile fading as she grew tense. She had advanced to the rank of tokubetsu jounin years ago on the merit of her combat skills and intelligence, but making the jump from tokubetsu to full jounin had proven incredibly difficult. In the wake of her teacher's defection from the village and the suspicion that had fallen on her, her reputation had taken a considerable hit. Without the Yamanaka clan confirming her loyalty and Jiraiya-sama sealing off the cursed seal, she might not have even gotten that far.

She had spent the last ten years rebuilding her reputation and driving her skills farther and farther, and at long last she had the chance to see all that work pay off. She had led numerous successful missions and, she felt, proven that she could handle the strategic and tactical demands of leadership as well as keep her subordinates both effective and safe.

"As noted before, your mission record is exemplary, and you have personally led nine A-rank missions and forty-two B-rank missions. I also note that rarely were your team members the same for any two missions, and as such you have extensive experience working with other tokubetsu jounin and chuunin in many different circumstances and can clearly make use of the skills and experience you have available."

Shikaku cleared his throat at this point, and the Hokage allowed him to take over. "Upon reviewing your mission records, we found an unusually high amount of complaints regarding your leadership style and overall effectiveness," he said, not bothering to refer to any documents directly.

Anko winced. She could think of quite a few examples where she might have pushed things a little too far when one of her subordinates annoyed her or said something really stupid. On the other hand, it wasn't her fault most of the chuunin she worked with had sticks shoved so far up their asses they were eating bark or couldn't think their way out of a wet paper bag.

"In particular, you have managed to accumulate an impressive _forty-six_ separate complaints regarding your, and I quote, 'violent tendencies'."

"If I may ask, Nara-san, what instances were those complaints regarding?" Anko said through clenched teeth. If some little chuunin chickenshit cost her a promotion, she'd _give _him something to complain about.

Hiroshi shuffled through the scrolls in front of him, pulling out three. "Let's see... this one says 'when I offered an alternative course of action for neutralizing the bandit camp, Mitarashi struck several pressure points to cause pain before rejecting my plan out of hand'."

He lifted the second scroll. "This one claims that you nearly dislocated his left arm because he pointed out a flaw in your battle plan, and this one claims that you threatened to 'castrate him with a rusty kunai if he wasn't in position in the next five seconds' before throwing said kunai between his legs with great force."

Anko teeth were audibly grinding against one another as she forced herself to remain silent. Asking a question was one thing, but shouting at the Hokage, the Jounin Commander, and her old Chuunin Commander was quite another. It didn't help her case that even with those descriptions she couldn't actually narrow it down to a single event.

The members of the panel watched her reaction for a long moment before sharing a quick glance. Hiroshi then tossed the scrolls back onto the table. "We have numerous other examples. They were of course noted and investigated at the time, and our review has caused them to be reevaluated once again. Would you like to know what we found, Mitarashi-san?"

Anko nodded her head silently, already resigning herself to the coming rejection.

"In every instance the person filing the complaint was a chuunin, and upon further review we have found not a single one of them has been promoted to tokubetsu jounin, much less jounin. Further, we have found that many of them have filed other complaints against their various team leaders regarding similar issues."

She blinked in surprise, having honestly not expected that.

The Hokage spoke up next, a small smile on his face. "It is our judgment, given the success of your missions and the pattern established by these chuunin, that you acted well within the bounds of your authority to maintain discipline during a mission. We also noted that at no point have you caused injuries or lasting physical harm to anyone under your command."

Anko relaxed slightly, just in time for the Hokage to pin her to the floor with a glare and a small bit of focused killing intent.

"I expect that to continue to be the case, Mitarashi-san. You have not crossed the line at any point, but some of your actions have come close. In the future, I expect you to find less physical means of maintaining discipline when leading missions."

She nodded jerkily, small beads of sweat trickling down her face. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment and so made no verbal reply.

The Hokage held his glare for a moment before he relented, his face settling into a neutral expression once again. "The next subject regards your recent A-rank mission to organize and lead the second phase of the Chuunin Exams. As you are aware, this mission was entrusted to you to allow you to prove that you had the skill and experience necessary to organize and lead a medium-scale non-combat operation."

At a nod from the Hokage, Shikaku took over the discussion again. "Your idea for using the team numbers proved effective and properly emphasized the need for information gathering and memorization. We feel that the test would have been more effective had the teams been forcibly spread out when placed in the Forest of Death, since analysis shows that despite the supposedly random nature of the assignments the teams were mostly grouped in two sections of the forest.

"That said, overall the test was a success. We attribute the fact that six teams managed to reach the tower to the unusually high quality of the entrants this year rather than a flaw in the design. While the disappearance of most of the teams during the second phase has yet to be adequately explained, no fault lies with you for that. The mission parameters stated that the genin teams were not to be tracked while they were within the confines of the forest. In hindsight this was a mistake, but at the time the possibility of causing an incident with the other Hidden Villages due to accusations of tampering with the Exams was deemed too high.

"Further, other than one disciplinary incident which is still being reviewed by the Chuunin Commanders, there have been no complaints or issues that arose before, during, or after the second phase that required outside intervention," Shikaku said, nodding to the Hokage to indicate that he was finished.

The three ninja on the panel consulted briefly before turning to look at Anko, the Hokage once again speaking. "There are no other subjects which we feel need to be addressed. Do you have anything to add that you feel we have overlooked or failed to consider, Mitarashi-san?"

Anko shook her head stiffly. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Very well." Another brief consultation and all three were staring at her with stern expressions. "It is the judgment of this panel that you, Anko Mitarashi, shall be promoted immediately to jounin with all duties, responsibilities, and authority that such rank entails," the Hokage said, a smile growing on his face.

Anko just stared at him blankly for a long moment before her face split into a grin, She barely managed to continue the victorious shout that threatened to erupt from her throat, instead saying, "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure that you won't, Mitarashi-san. In fact, as you are now a full jounin you are eligible for a mission that seems perfectly suited for you."

Anko blinked before settling back into a professional demeanor and nodding solemnly. "I await your orders, Hokage-sama."

"Before that, we need to bring you up to speed on a developing situation regarding the third phase of the Exams. Let us retire to my office."

* * *

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-12:15 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

Anko stared at the Hokage in disbelief. She wanted to laugh or crack a joke, but she couldn't quite manage to do so.

"Someone is willing to pay twenty-five million ryo for my capture?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly strangled.

The Hokage nodded solemnly. "To our knowledge you have no outstanding bounties in other countries, and while you have completed a few high profile assassination missions, there is no indication that anyone has traced those back to you."

"Do you know why? Or who?"

"We do not. Do you have any idea who could be trying to capture you, or why?"

Anko reflexively rubbed at the junction between her shoulder and neck, directly over the curse mark. Her gesture was not missed by the Hokage.

"The bastard might, but paying someone else to do his work isn't really his style. He always insisted that if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself."

The Hokage nodded in agreement; he had taught Orochimaru for years, after all, and was quite familiar with his personality.

"Besides," Anko said bitterly, "he tossed me aside like trash years ago." A small part of her rage at and loathing for Orochimaru leaked into her voice and her face, and she stared into the distance as she recalled the teacher she would have done anything for and the monster he had turned into.

"His loss," the Hokage said firmly, smiling gently at Anko. "His insanity did not end with his experiments, and Konoha is the better for it."

Anko nodded quickly, clearing her throat roughly. "What was the mission you wanted me for, Hokage-sama?" she asked, changing the subject to less emotional territory.

"I want you to form a rapid-response combat team that will be active from two days prior to the third phase through its completion. Your mission will be to locate and neutralize any hostile forces that infiltrate Konoha, more specifically sectors one through four."

"Team members?"

"You are free to request any ninja in our standing forces, though I will need to review them to make sure they are not already assigned elsewhere. Obtaining prior agreement from the ninja in question would help significantly."

"Team size?"

"Up to three squads of four members each, yourself included."

"Capture or kill?"

"If feasible, capture without raising an alarm. If general fighting should break out, kill as quickly and efficiently as possible."

"What of casualties on our side?"

"You will be provided with signal tags. Should any civilians or ninja be injured, mark them with a tag and move on. Other teams will be assigned to taking care of casualties. You or your team may provide a small amount of medical aid at your discretion if you believe it to be necessary, but you are to focus on limiting the damage as much as possible by removing the hostile elements."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Anko said, before falling silent as she contemplated her assignment.

"Any other questions?" the Hokage asked.

"Not at this time, Hokage-sama."

"Very well. Submit your team member requests to the Jounin Commander by noon tomorrow; you should find him in Mission Room Four. Dismissed."

* * *

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-3:30 PM-

-Suna, Kazekage's Office-

"Kazekage-sama, we have received confirmation that one of our teams successfully completed the second phase."

"Which team?"

"Baki's team, Kazekage-sama."

"What of the other teams that passed?"

"Four Konoha teams and one team from the new village of Oto passed the second phase, but only two of the Konoha teams are advancing to the third phase. In addition, it appears that the death toll during the phase was exceptionally high. Of the twenty-six teams that entered the forest, only ten left alive. The others are presumed dead, including two of our teams."

"I see... it seems the weapon was unable to control himself properly," the Kazekage said.

The jounin delivering the news opened his mouth to correct the Kazekage, then immediately snapped it shut again. The information he had suggested that Gaara was not responsible, since his team finished first... but then he couldn't say for certain that Gaara wasn't, and he had no desire to contradict the Kazekage with nothing but guesses and assumptions on his side. The Kazekage's temper was fickle at the best of times, and he had no desire to have it turned on him. He settled for saying nothing.

"Very well," the Kazekage said after a few moments of contemplation, "unless you have anything further to report, you are dismissed."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

The Kazekage stared out the window thoughtfully. He was unsurprised to hear that the weapon had killed Suna genin; he had half-expected for every genin in the second phase to have perished. It seemed the weapon's teammates were more effective at controlling him than he had thought. He would have to correct that mistake.

His secretary's voice interrupted his musings. "Kazekage-sama, your next appointment is here."

"Send them in," he replied, returning to his desk.

An old man slowly shuffled into the room, his back bent with the weight of his years. He wore traditional Suna attire of dull browns and faded blacks, the clothing hanging loosely on his frame but protecting his skin from the sun. He only retained a few wisps of gray hair on his head, and one of his eyes had turned milky white, revealing its blindness.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he wondered who this old man was. He-

The Kazekage straightened in his seat, motioning to the guards around the room. "I require complete privacy for this meeting," he said firmly, his eyes slightly glazed.

"Understood, Kazekage-sama," a voice replied from the shadows. The door clicked softly shut a moment later, the seals reactivating to prevent anyone from spying on the Kazekage.

The old man walked forward with sudden grace, his back straightening as he walked around the Kazekage's desk and began methodically reviewing the documents located on top of the desk and within its many hidden compartments.

The Kazekage did not react, his eyes staring directly ahead, unseeing.

"Report," the old man said, his voice sounding far too strong to have issued from his seemingly feeble body.

"I have carried out your orders as requested. The jinchuuriki was sent to Konoha and has advanced to the third phase. Reports indicate that he also killed many of the other teams, as expected. Their attention should be focused on him and he will likely be targeted for retribution during the third phase. Odds are high that one or both of his teammates will perish."

"And Orochimaru?"

"Two squads of ANBU are prepared to intercept his agents as they flee Konoha. In addition all available infiltration specialists have been assigned to slip into Konoha during the third phase and cause as much damage as possible once Orochimaru's plan begins. Unless given specific instructions, they will target the civilian sectors of the village and focus on structural damage and injuring as many civilians as possible. They should be able to tie up a substantial portion of Konoha's ninja in rescuing the injured civilians, weakening their protections elsewhere."

The old man read over one of the documents he had found carefully before placing it back in the drawer and moving on.

"What of the Wind Lord?"

"The Wind Lord has declined a ninja escort of any kind, choosing to rely on his samurai. He has also threatened to cut our funding even further if we do not represent his country well during the exams."

"Did he promise to raise it if you did?"

"No."

The old man snorted softly. "Of course he didn't. What is the current sentiment regarding the Wind Lord among your forces?"

"They resent his interference and condescension, though it has not reached the point they would be willing to act against him directly."

"Do you have enough ninja willing to interfere with his operations to cause him problems?"

"Possibly. I would need to recall some of them from the field, however."

"Do so. Begin by raising the crime rates in the capital and killing off minor functionaries in his court. From there you may escalate as you see fit, as long as nothing connects your actions to Suna. In the meantime, leak the Wind Lord's ultimatum to the general forces and continue to stir resentment against him. I want all of Suna's ninja turned against the Wind Lord within the year."

"Understood."

"Do you have any new materials for me?"

"Yes. One jounin died during a recent mission; it happened close enough to Suna that his team brought his body back rather than destroying it in the field. As per your orders I replaced his body with a fake before it was cremated. The body is currently sealed in a scroll labeled 'February Economic Report, Part Three' in the second hidden compartment."

"Excellent," the old man said, smiling slightly. He pulled out the named scroll a few moments later, tucking it away within his clothing.

"Any other news of interest?"

"No."

"Very well. Other than what we talked about here, your orders remain the same."

"Understood, Sasori-sama."

-had quickly dealt with the old man's petty concerns and sent him on his way, the unimportant civilian already fading from his memory.

He turned his attention to his upcoming trip to Konoha for the Chuunin Exams. He had many things to prepare.

* * *

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-4:00 PM-

-Konoha Hospital-

Shizune rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. The Hokage had ordered her to review all the emergency protocols for the med-nin prior to the third phase, to make sure they were up to date and that all of her staff understood their roles and how they should respond to any of a dozen different situations. It was a daunting task, made even worse by the small amount of time she had available.

A polite knock sounded at her door before it opened to reveal one of her most effective subordinates.

"Ah, Kabuto-kun, I'm glad you're here," she said, smiling.

"Of course, Shizune-sama," he said, adjusting his glasses slightly. "How can I help you?"

She motioned him to join her at her desk. "I've got some A-rank med-nin restricted documents I need you to sort through. Take these three stacks," she said, motioning to the neat piles sitting on one side of her desk, "and create enough pamphlets to distribute to every jounin med-nin in Konoha. Once you've done that, come back and I'll have some more stacks for you to work through."

Kabuto smiled politely and picked up the papers. "Of course, Shizune-sama."

Shizune smiled at him apologetically. "I'll need all of those done by tomorrow, Kabuto-kun."

He frowned slightly, before nodding resolutely. "I'll make sure it gets done, Shizune-sama."

"Once the Chuunin Exams are over and things settle down a bit, I'll see about getting you some bonus pay," she said.

"I appreciate the thought, Shizune-sama, but I am happy to help in any way I can."

Shizune shook her head. "You are one of my best med-nin, and Kami knows they don't pay any of us enough for the crap we have to go through."

Kabuto smirked slightly. "I would not dream of disagreeing with you, Shizune-sama."

Shizune bit off a quick laugh before motioning him out of the room. "Time to get to work, Kabuto-kun, I've got many more of these to get through."

"Of course, Shizune-sama," Kabuto said, bowing and leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind him as he did so.

He paused in the hallway, adjusting his glasses slightly as he eyed the top page of the papers he had been given. "Emergency Response Plan IN471-A4: Deployment and Triage Procedures For Compromised Internal Security And Hostile Combatant Presence" it read.

"Yes," Kabuto said quietly to himself, "always happy to help."

* * *

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Konoha Academy-

Iruka signed the latest progress report for the Academy with a smile. He placed the paper on the top of the stack and just spent a moment enjoying the sight of his clean desk. He was fully caught up on his paperwork for the first time this month, and a little celebration was due.

Then he remembered he still had to carry everything over to the Hokage's Tower so it could be read through and filed away.

With a sigh, he started bundling everything up before he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called out.

The door opened to reveal one of the other instructors, Mizuki. Mizuki had joined the Academy as a chuunin three years ago after the rest of his team was killed on a mission. He had retired from field work after that, preferring to stick to the village. Mizuki wasn't the best teacher in the Academy, but he was a solid taijutsu instructor and did his share of the work.

"Anything you need, Mizuki?" Iruka asked curiously.

"Nah, I was about to head over to the Tower to turn in my reports and thought I would see if anyone else still had to turn in theirs," he said, hefting the stack of papers he was carrying for emphasis.

"I was about to head that way myself, actually," Iruka replied, motioning to his own stack of papers.

"Want me to carry those for you? No sense in both of us making the trip," Mizuki offered.

Iruka glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that he was already an hour past his normal departure time. "You sure?" he asked hesitantly.

"It's fine," Mizuki insisted, walking over to pick up Iruka's papers as well. "I'm going to grab some dinner in the area anyway."

Iruka nodded, smiling. "Thanks, I owe you one."

Mizuki just shrugged. "You helped me out a lot when I first started, this is the least I can do."

Iruka clapped him on the shoulder as he headed out the door. "Thanks again, and I'll see you next week!"

"Sure thing!" Mizuki called back.

Thirty minutes later Mizuki entered the Records Department of the Hokage's Tower, nodding politely to the various clerks and guards as he passed. After three years at the Academy he was a familiar sight to the people who worked here, and he was on a first name basis with most of them.

"Droppin' off this week's paperwork, Keiko-chan," he said, smiling at one of the clerks.

Keiko looked up and returned his smile. "Another large pile, I see. Are the other teachers still making you carry all their paperwork for them?" she asked, frowning cutely.

"It's no problem," Mizuki replied. "Besides, it gives me an excuse to come see you."

Keiko smirked at him. "Still not giving up, huh?"

"Not until I get at least get one date out of you."

"Keep it up, and you just might. Sign here."

Mizuki grinned and bent down, signing his name with a flourish. He watched out of the corner of his eye as an ANBU deactivated the seals on the far side of the room, revealing the doorway that led to the more restricted section of the Records Department that housed sensitive documents and other important scrolls... such as Konoha's legendary Forbidden Scroll.

His grin grew slightly. Three years of drudgery and boredom would all be paying off very soon. Orochimaru-sama had given him a great deal of information on how the Records Department worked, but he hadn't found a way to get in and out that had even a fifty-fifty chance of success, much less the much higher rates that he preferred.

Fortunately, with the upcoming third phase and Orochimaru-sama's assurances that security would be focused on other areas, he could take a more direct approach. He may not be able to get through the seals the proper way, but he'd had more than enough time and resources to figure out a way he could brute force his way through them. He could get in and out within fifteen minutes, and then he would be fleeing Konoha with his prize.

"Thanks, Keiko-chan," he said, straightening up. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"I'll be sure to do that, Mizuki-kun," Keiko replied.

With a wave and another smile he made his way out of the Records Department, confirming the positioning of the other guards. He knew himself well enough to know that he couldn't take an ANBU one-on-one, unless he got very, very lucky. He'd requested that Orochimaru-sama provide him with a partner for this task, and had been assured that one would meet him on the second day of the third phase in order to assist him with any resistance.

One more week, and then he could begin to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

* * *

**A/N: Focus this time around is on some of the various forces that are preparing to strike during the third phase. Hopefully it's clear, but the original plot by Orochimaru has gotten way, way out of control at this point, and _nobody _realizes just how many people know (or think they know) what's going to happen and are trying to take advantage of it.**

**As a quick recap: someone is trying to kidnap children with bloodlines, someone is trying to kidnap Anko, someone is trying to kidnap Naruto, Sasori is manipulating Suna to damage Konoha and working against Gaara and his siblings, Mizuki is trying to steal the scroll for Orochimaru, Kabuto is doing something mysterious and creepy as only he can, the Eastern Dragons have several assassins and would-be thieves that are going to be all over the place, and someone is trying to assassinate Gaara while he's in Konoha.  
**

**I'm sure all of you will recognize Mizuki and Kabuto. Mizuki's plan in canon was complete crap and relied on a "dead-last" genin breaking into what should be the most secure location in all of Konoha without giving anything away or getting caught. Assuming Mizuki had all of the necessary information to pull it off, why the hell wouldn't he just go himself? The only way it makes sense is if Naruto really is hated and people would take any excuse to punish or kill him, thus shielding Mizuki from exposure. Even that doesn't really hold up, though, since the Hokage at least is certain to listen to Naruto. The whole thing should have failed from the word go.  
**

**Also, given Kabuto's true strength and skill, keeping him as a genin seems like a complete waste. He's going to be playing a very different role in this story.**

**Next chapter will reveal just what Orochimaru is going to try to do, and how. Point of interest: it's _not _the joint Suna-Sound invasion from canon.**

**As always, thanks for reading!  
**


	32. Always Be Prepared, Part II

-July 27th, 347 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Training Ground Nine-

Team Gai sprinted into the clearing, panting heavily as they slowed to a jog and began circling the clearing to cool down. They had just finished the last part of their initial exercise routine, which culminated in sprinting around the perimeter of the the training ground at full speed... for ten laps.

"Well done, my youthful pupils!" Gai said from beside them. He had kept pace with his students, but had barely broken a sweat. "Let us now discuss strategies for your upcoming youthful battles!" he exclaimed, leading them to the center of the clearing.

Lee, Neji, and Tenten jogged over to join their teacher at a slow pace as they continued their cool down routines. "Have you given further thought to your desired match-ups?"

"We have, Gai-sensei," Neji replied, his words coming out slowly as he sucked in lungfuls of air. "Barring unusual circumstances with the terrain, we believe it would be best if Lee faces Naruto while I face Hinata-sama and Tenten faces Ino."

"And why is that?" Gai prompted.

Tenten answered next. "Lee is the only one better at taijutsu than Naruto, and he's also faster. Naruto can neutralize the Jyuuken through sheer chakra expenditure, not to mention he learned how to flare his chakra and blind byakugan users temporarily, so Neji is out. I'm out since he can block my ranged attacks all day and he's just too fast for me up close. I'm still working on a ranged attack with more piercing power, but it won't be ready in time for the third phase. With his secret weapon, Lee should be able to overwhelm Naruto. Hopefully."

Gai nodded sagely. "Well reasoned. I do not wish for Lee to use that technique rashly, but against the most youthful Naruto-kun he does indeed have the best chance. What about the other two?"

"I am most familiar with Hinata-sama's fighting style as we have trained together for many years. While I have not won every bout in the past, the odds of victory are still in my favor. Should we be pressed, I too have a secret technique to employ."

Gai beamed at Neji. Mastering the Kaiten at such a young age was easily Neji's greatest achievement to date, and one that he was proud to have been a part of. Still, he wasn't about to let their explanation go with just that.

"What about Tenten's chances against Hinata, or your chances against Ino?" he prompted.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee called out, taking over the explanation. "Tenten has a better chance against Ino due to her ranged attacks. Ino has unknown speed and range with the Yamanaka techniques, and the only known method for resisting those techniques is to avoid them entirely. Neji, like myself, is focused on close combat and is thus vulnerable to such attacks. Ino's father is also noted as the most successful Yamanaka in employing their clan techniques in combat, and he will have certainly instructed Ino on how to do so as well."

Neji grimaced but nodded in agreement. "Tenten will be able to keep Ino at range and thus maximize her chances of avoiding any Yamanaka techniques. As for Hinata-sama, Tenten _is _familiar with the Jyuuken thanks to her spars with me, but she is used to facing my version of the style, which focuses on power and penetration. Hinata-sama's style is focused on speed and flexibility, and Tenten's instinctive reactions based on fighting my style would leave her exposed to Hinata-sama's attacks. I, on the other hand, have faced Hinata-sama many times and am well-acquainted with her method of fighting and how to counter it."

"Yosh! Tenten, how do you plan to combat the youthful Ino?"

Tenten grimaced. "I had originally hoped to overwhelm her with kunai like I did Sakura, but after seeing her lightning jutsu that's out." The others nodded solemnly in agreement. Tenten's propensity to fling large quantities of kunai and other metal weapons would most definitely work against her in that situation. "I have a few wooden weapons in my arsenal, a staff and a couple of other blunt weapons. I'll be adding some wooden throwing weapons and low-powered explosive tags in preparation for the battle."

"And for the battle itself?"

"Keep the fight at long-range and don't give her time to get any jutsu off. Once I create an opening I'll charge in and take her out. She's definitely the weakest fighter of the three, so I should be able to control the flow of battle and defeat her quickly. From there I'll have to see who needs support."

Gai frowned slightly. "Do not become overconfident, my pupils. It has been many months since you participated in the group training sessions, and my eternal rival Kakashi is highly experienced. I would expect all of his students to have learned new abilities under his tutelage, just as you have learned under mine. Lee!" he cried out suddenly. "What is the first rule of planning?"

"Yosh! The first rule of planning is that no plan survives contact with the enemy, Gai-sensei!" Lee cried out enthusiastically.

"Well said! Neji! What is the first rule of combat?"

"The enemy always has another weapon," Neji replied, smirking slightly.

"Well said! Tenten! What is the second rule of combat?"

"The only thing better than avoiding an enemy's attack is turning that attack against them."

"Well said! Keep these rules in mind and you will do well! Now, let us resume our training!"

* * *

-Same Day-

-8:00 PM-

-Outside of Konoha-

Orochimaru's eyes snapped open as one of his subordinates entered the room. The jounin – just one of many missing-nin who had flocked to his banner in recent years, and one who was neither interesting nor powerful enough to warrant the effort it would take to remember his name – immediately knelt, his head bowed and his gaze fixed on the floor.

"Report," Orochimaru snapped impatiently.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. The chakra squads have completed their training and are on schedule. As ordered, they are now preserving their chakra as much as possible to prepare for the attack."

"Good. What of our agents within Konoha?"

"Mizuki has signaled that his preparations are complete. With the attack, he estimates a ninety percent chance of success. Other agents report isolated incidences of suspicious activity among Konoha's ranks, but nothing that indicates they are aware of the attack. Mostly an extra training drill here or there or unexpected shifts in security rotations."

"Hmm... any word on the Eastern Dragons?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. They have filled all of our requested contracts, but have also offered a number of their own. A full list of known contracts is being compiled, but so far none of them seem to conflict with your own requests."

"I see...," Orochimaru said, drawing out the word with a sibilant hiss. Unlike his idiotic subordinate, Orochimaru could actually read between the lines of the report. The Eastern Dragons had given away too much with their extra contracts and Konoha knew _something _was going to happen. The question was, just how much did they know?

"Anything else?"

"No, Orochimaru-sama."

"Then you may go," Orochimaru said, dismissing the man.

Once the jounin had left the room, he closed his eyes once again and focused on the thread of chakra that stretched from his body off into the distance.

Several miles away and within the walls of Konoha, his eyes snapped open once again and he sat up, stretching and twisting his body back and forth as he adjusted to the sudden change. His eyes turned to the other occupants of the room, who were eying him with a mixture of disgust, fear, and fascination. Just the way he liked it.

"I trust I haven't kept you waiting too long," he said softly, a small smirk on his face.

Kidomaru and Sakon shook their heads quickly. "Of course not, Orochimaru-sama," they replied.

Orochimaru checked the privacy seals plastered around the room to make sure they were still operating correctly before he turned to his subordinates once again.

"The situation remains unchanged," he began, focusing intently on the two as he began pacing about the room. "We will lose in the first round after putting on a decent show, but remain within Konoha to witness the second round of the third phase as spectators. Once the matches have started and everyone is focused on the battle we will then leave the stadium to attend to our respective tasks.

"Kidomaru, you will assist Mizuki in retrieving the Forbidden Scroll along with any other documents you can acquire. Once you accomplish that, use the explosive tags I have supplied to destroy anything that remains. I don't expect you will do any real damage, but it will be one more thing to divide Konoha's attention.

"Sakon, Ukon, you two will accompany me until I begin the attack as my guard, then infiltrate the hospital and acquire any promising specimens you can find. I expect there will be plenty to choose from once I begin my work. You are to withdraw after thirty minutes and leave Konoha with whatever you have managed to acquire in that time. If you encounter any of our... contractors, do not interfere with them.

"Meanwhile, I will be arranging our main entertainment for the day. With my own skill and the ninja located outside of Konoha providing the chakra, I should be able to keep Konoha on its toes for at least an hour. Then there's our little surprises we've been distributing around town... Kukuku...," Orochimaru trailed off, chuckling to himself.

It had taken him years to pull this plan together, and it had taken his fortuitous acquisition of that strange little black rod from Ame to provide the final piece. He spent months determining that the rod functioned as an incredibly powerful chakra receiver, and months more determining the best way to use it. Eventually he had latched onto the idea of combining his theory behind the Body Transfer jutsu with the capabilities of that rod. From there it had been a matter of acquiring or producing more, but with a template to work from that had been a minor challenge to someone of his genius.

And now he was living the results, controlling a dead body from miles away with naught but chakra and pure skill. His abilities were severely limited in some ways; he had to make adjustments for the differences between this body and his own, and his awareness and reflexes suffered greatly. The more time he spent practicing, however, the better his control became. In time, he would be able to operate at something approaching the skill he possessed within his own body. Until then, he would have to be satisfied with what he could get.

Beyond the obvious benefits in terms of safety and infiltration, however, were the unexpected boons to his original plan for attacking Konoha. Edo Tensei was an absurdly powerful technique when used correctly, capable of reviving the most powerful individuals of all time and binding them to the summoner's will. The resurrected retain the knowledge and skills they had in life, and gained a nearly perfect form of invulnerability by means of regeneration. As long as the summoner continued to feed chakra into the technique, the resurrected would continue to reform around the control tag that served as the anchor for the technique.

Sadly, the chakra required to actually use the resurrected in battle was even more absurd. The resurrected may retain their skills, but they did not retain their _chakra._ Any technique used by the resurrected consumes the summoner's chakra, and often far more than if the summoner had used the technique themselves.

Orochimaru's own experiments had shown that this could be alleviated somewhat by using skills the resurrected was highly proficient with in life. Their own knowledge of how to reduce chakra expenditure carried over into their resurrected form as well. Even with that knowledge, however, the jutsu was still almost prohibitively exhausting. His initial experiments had drained nearly half of his reserves within thirty minutes, and that was without using his more powerful techniques. Such a cost was unacceptable, and he had nearly discarded the idea altogether.

Then he had found the black chakra rods, and everything changed. Not only had he personally learned how to transfer chakra to an external source with only moderate loss of chakra efficiency, he had also crafted his control tags for the resurrected out of the material that made up the chakra rod. This not only boosted his control over the resurrected even further, but raised the efficiency of the chakra transfer to nearly perfect levels.

His original plan to attack Konoha had called for massive numbers of ninja to serve as distractions, so much so that it would in truth be more an army than a squad and his plan an outright invasion rather than a mission. His new plan called for less than a hundred ninja, the majority of whom would never set foot in Konoha at all. They would be scattered randomly outside of Konoha, pouring their chakra into metal rods that coincided with the tags that anchored the Edo Tensei. The few ninja actually entering Konoha would pursue one of two goals.

One group was responsible for assembling and activating the explosive tags planted around Konoha. Unlike conventional tags, these were carved into wooden blocks that could be connected and primed at a later date. To any but a highly skilled and observant seal crafter, the lines that made up the seals would appear to be merely decorative. The seals were far from perfect, of course, and were generally inferior in both power and stability to paper tags of similar size... but the ones assembling them didn't need to know that. More than a few of the wooden exploding seals would either fail to activate entirely, or else explode early, taking out the ninja putting it together along with the surrounding area. Enough would do their job to provide yet another distraction for Konoha, however.

The other group was assigned to retrieve information or useful objects during the attack. Clan scrolls, mission records, anything and everything he thought might serve to strengthen him or weaken Konoha would be targeted. He would be targeting sensitive locations during his own attack in order to cause damage and provide an opportunity for his subordinates to enter the area under the guise of would-be rescuers or medics.

He chuckled to himself. All of that planning was long-term, and only partly why he was doing this. More than anything, he wanted revenge on the village that had rejected him after everything he had done for it, and he wanted to show them what their prodigal son had managed to accomplish. They had turned up their collective nose at his research, at his unquestionably effective methods, at _him. _Now he would show Konoha just what his efforts had wrought.

One man would be all it took to bring Konoha to its knees.

His chuckles devolved into maniacal laughter as he recalled the three resurrected bodies waiting to be unleashed upon Konoha. It was a shame Tsunade had left; he was sure she would have enjoyed the reunion almost as much as he would.

* * *

-July 28th, 347 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Konoha Hospital-

"Thanks for helping me out, Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto said, smiling slightly.

"I'm always happy to help you, Naruto-kun, you know that. Besides, I'm not about to leave someone to suffer if I can help them. Now, what have you figured out so far?"

"Well, I identified some scarring in the lower regions of his lungs, but couldn't determine any cause for it. He has also complained that he occasionally has trouble catching his breath for no apparent reason, and that he had begun to feel a little fatigued."

"I see," Shizune said, nodding thoughtfully. "Anything else?"

"Not that I could see."

"Alright, I suppose it's time I take a look for myself."

With that, she pushed open the door to the examination room and walked in, smiling. "Good afternoon, Mikawa-san. How are you feeling today?"

"Fairly well, all things considered," the young, brown-haired man said in a pleasant baritone.

"That's good to hear. I'm Shizune, the Chief Medical Ninja here at the hospital. Naruto-kun has filled me in on everything he found so far, but I'll be performing my own examination to see if I can find anything he missed."

"Thank you, Shizune-sama. I really appreciate someone as important as yourself taking the time to help me."

"It's no trouble at all," she replied, her hand already glowing green.

The room fell silent as she focused on her jutsu, her hand slowly traveling back and forth across her patient's chest as she frowned thoughtfully. After a few minutes she lowered her hand and stepped back, looking pensive.

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news," she said.

Naruto and the young man both stiffened slightly.

"The bad news," Shizune said, smiling apologetically, "is that I have no idea how to cure this."

"... what's the good news?" the young man asked slowly.

"The good news is that I have seen this before when I was studying under... my teacher, and she determined that as long as the damage was corrected periodically, anyone suffering from this would not really fell any ill effects."

"I see," the young man said. "How often would I need to be treated?"

"My teacher determined that every six months would likely be optimal. Given your otherwise excellent health I would say you could go up to a year between treatments if you had to."

The young man nodded thoughtfully. "Would I need to come to Konoha every time, or would another medical ninja be able to perform the necessary treatments?"

"Oh, any decent med-nin could do this. I can give you a quick rundown of what they would need to do if you end up seeking treatment elsewhere."

"That would be greatly appreciated. I am only in Konoha for a short time, and do not expect to be able to travel easily."

"I'll do that then. In the meantime, I'll go ahead and correct the damage now. Naruto-kun, make sure you pay attention. What you need to do is..."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

"So, what's your plan now?" Kuushou asked as he left the hospital along with Itachi. The streets were already beginning to swell with travelers and merchants arriving for the third phase of the exams, so they kept their conversation lighthearted and innocuous, mindful of the many people who could overhear what they were saying.

"I will be staying to attend the third phase of the exams," Itachi replied quietly. "I've always wanted to see ninja fight, and I hear that this year will be particularly interesting," he added.

"And what are you going to do if things are a little more... exciting than you expect?"

"As I am now the 'excitement' would be too much for me, and since I have delivered my messages and visited the hospital, I consider my official business concluded. From here on out I will be enjoying my stay in Konoha as a tourist, nothing more."

Kuushou frowned slightly, but nodded. "Fair enough," Kuushou conceded, "though I hope that won't always be the case."

Itachi shrugged. "That remains to be seen. I find my current situation to be... pleasant. I do not wish it to be disrupted without good reason."

"You never did tell me exactly what you've been up to lately. I certainly appreciate all the letters you've sent me, but you haven't exactly talked about yourself much," Kuushou prompted.

Itachi just smirked and kept walking.

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:00 PM-

-Council Chambers-

"Esteemed Councilors, thank you for attending this meeting on such short notice. I realize all of you are busy with preparations for the third phase, and so I will keep this short and to the point," Sarutobi said, smiling at the assembled civilians and ninja in the room.

After the fiasco with the Uchiha, the Council had settled down into something much closer to its original purpose. The Ogawa and Kurama clans had gained their seats and brought valuable perspectives and resources to the board, and the Uchiha seat had reverted into a temporary position currently filled by Hiro Yamashita, one of Konoha's Chuunin Commanders.

The other major change had been the addition of the Konoha Chief of Police to the Council as a distinct seat. The Hokage appointed the Chief Of Police at his sole discretion, and the position was currently ably filled by Tsume Inuzuka. Tsume and her clan had proven very effective at tracking down criminals, and no one was stupid enough to question their loyalty to the village.

"As you know, it has been nearly thirteen years since I once again took up the mantle of Hokage, and nearly twenty since I first retired. I can feel my age growing on me, and I fear that I will not live much longer."

Sarutobi smiled softly at the denials that rang out in the room.

"I appreciate your concern, and rest assured I have no intention of dying just yet. However, as Hokage I must acknowledge and prepare for such an event. To that end, I have decided to name my successor to the title of Hokage."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Each understood that the Hokage would not live forever, but for most of the people in the room he had been Hokage longer than they had been alive. It was difficult to imagine someone else as their leader, especially since there was no obvious successor with the skill and charisma that Minato had possessed.

"As you might imagine, this is one decision that I have given a great deal of thought to over the years. To serve as Hokage is simultaneously a joyous duty and a terrible burden, and anyone who takes up the mantle must be prepared to sacrifice both themselves and others to secure the safety of the village as a whole. They must also have the respect and trust of the village in order to succeed. The Hokage has a great deal of power, but it is a power born of loyalty, not force.

"Thus, after a great deal of careful thought and consideration, I have chosen Shikaku Nara as my successor."

The Council remained silent for a few seconds as they contemplated that choice, then slowly smiles and nods began to spread. Many of them already looked to the Nara for guidance in various matters, and he was well known as one of the Hokage's greatest advisers. His work as Jounin Commander had also proven that he had what it took to get things done under his own volition.

Unsurprisingly, it was Inoichi and Chouza who began clapping first, both smiling widely as they congratulated their friend and teammate. Soon the whole room was standing on their feet as they acknowledged their future Hokage.

"Troublesome...," Shikaku muttered, though he was smiling slightly at the praise. He had already known for some time, and the ANBU Commander and certain others had been informed, but this was the first time the Council had heard anything about the decision.

After a minute the room quietened down and the Hokage resumed speaking. "I will be retiring once again shortly after the Chuunin Exams have concluded, and Shikaku's appointment will be announced at that time. I have already agreed to serve in an advisory capacity moving forward to help smooth the transition. Honestly, after serving this village for so long, it would be strange to stop doing so entirely."

The Council chuckled quietly and nodded, feeling a little relieved to know that Sarutobi would still be watching over the village. They liked and respected Shikaku, but he wasn't Sarutobi. The Third Hokage was truly one of a kind.

"I believe that Shikaku had a few things he wanted to say as well," the Hokage said, nodding to the Nara.

Shikaku stood up, looking around the room slowly as he spoke. "I appreciate the level of trust and acceptance you have shown me, and I vow to do everything in my power to serve this village to the best of my ability. As I will be taking on the mantle of Hokage, we will obviously need another Jounin Commander. After consulting with the Hokage and the ANBU Commander, we have decided that Shibi Aburame will be stepping into that role."

More nods around the room. Shibi was also well-respected and absolutely meticulous, and seemed well-suited for the position.

Shikaku exchanged a quick glance with the Hokage. Shibi had been their second choice, although they both knew he could do the job. Their first choice had been Kakashi Hatake, as they had hoped to use his time as Jounin Commander to give him more experience dealing with the political and administrative side of Konoha with the aim of preparing him to eventually take on the mantle of Hokage himself.

Kakashi had refused.

The one-eyed jounin had insisted that he would continue teaching his team until all of them had reached jounin, and only then would he consider taking up the job of Jounin Commander. The Hokage could have pressed the point or even ordered him to do it, but the last thing Konoha needed was a Jounin Commander who didn't like his job. That had disaster written all over it.

The Hokage had been disappointed, but it had also reaffirmed his decision to appoint Shikaku as his successor. Kakashi simply wasn't ready for the type of responsibility and sacrifice the position required.

Shikaku sat down once again and the Hokage took over the meeting. "I remind you that none of this has been announced to the public, nor will it be until after the third phase has concluded and our many guests have departed. We don't want rumors flying around with everything else that is going on."

Sarutobi smirked internally. He figured most of Konoha would know by the end of tomorrow. The ninja were astute enough to note that he never actually said not to tell anyone, and the civilians would inevitably tell _someone_, who would tell someone else, and so on. Any hostile forces within Konoha would pick up on these rumors and take them as a sign of weakness, possibly leading to overconfidence and mistakes.

"And with that, this meeting is concluded," the Hokage said. With that bit of business out of the way, he could turn his attention back to the preparations for the so-called "disruption" during the third-phase. Naruto's – no, Kuushou's, he reminded himself – warning that someone was trying to assassinate Gaara and release the Bijuu he contained had shifted their focus away from Suna onto a more wide-spread threat.

There was no way Suna would be willing to simply sacrifice their jinchuuriki like that. Unfortunately, Gaara's identity was possibly the worst-kept secret in the Elemental Nations and Konoha had plenty of enemies who would be willing to strike at them in such an indirect manner, so they were no closer to determining who exactly had ordered the boy's assassination.

Kuushou had also been very tight-lipped about the identity of his mysterious informant, and Sarutobi wasn't yet willing to reveal exactly how and why Jiraiya had gotten his information about the realms, which was Kuushou's price. In fact, Sarutobi thought with a sigh, he'd actually made very little headway in confirming anything Kuushou had told him.

Both the Toads and Monkeys continued their litany of "_I can't answer that question_" and the little time he'd had to search his own records hadn't revealed anything useful. Oddly enough, the one thing he had been able to confirm was that Kami and the Death God were one and the same. That piece of information was tangential at best to the things he really needed to know, but it _was_ confirmation that Kuushou hadn't been making everything up on the spot.

Still, he had two more days before his next meeting with the Bijuu, and at the moment he had no idea what he was going to do. He didn't trust the Bijuu nearly enough to simply accept his words on faith, but he also had no leverage to use against him. Not to mention that he wasn't at all certain how the Bijuu would react even if he did have leverage.

Kuushou obviously didn't want to be banished, but to an immortal being one hundred years might as well be nothing. Should Kuushou deliver on his threat – and that much, at least, he believed – Konoha would suffer far more than the Bijuu would.

That left the carrot approach, which in some ways could be just as bad. Judging by Kuushou's actions as Naruto, he wanted power and knowledge and cared little for anything else. Unfortunately, everything he learned would make him more of a threat. If he was... not so much loyal, but willing to work with them, then Konoha would benefit. If he was an enemy, Konoha would lose out in the end.

For the moment, working with Kuushou seemed the best course of action. He would keep his eye open for any sign of weakness or anything he could take advantage of, however. It was not in his nature to work from a position of weakness, and Konoha was not well-served by having to bow to the whims of a Bijuu.

* * *

**A/N: I hope I made it clear in the Orochimaru scene, but the Edo Tensei in this AU does not work like the Edo Tensei in canon. As far as I can tell, in canon the jutsu takes no chakra at all beyond the initial resurrection, which is so ridiculously powerful that it's basically a God Mode all by itself.**

**Using Narutopedia for reference, here are the changes I've alluded to above. **

**1) Anything the resurrected do, any techniques they perform, pull chakra from the summoner. With the chakra that is lost in the transfer, a technique that costs 100 units of chakra normally will now cost 150-200 units or more. Orochimaru has improved the technique to the point where it only costs him 110-120 units, for the sake of comparison.**

**2) The control tag isn't an optional or additional part of the jutsu, it basically /is/ the jutsu. The body will continually reform around the tag as long as chakra is available. If the tag is destroyed, the jutsu ends. Of course, that's much easier said than done...**

**3) If the summoner dies, the jutsu ends.**

**4) If the chakra flow is completely cut off, the jutsu ends. Slowing the chakra flow will also weaken the jutsu (regeneration speed, power of techniques, etc.).**

**5) The summoner has to focus on the resurrected in order to make them do anything. They will follow directions, but the directions have to be relatively specific. "Destroy that person", "use that jutsu at that target" or the like, not "kill everything" or "cause mayhem".**

**I may have missed some other changes since I haven't actually read the chapters in question myself.  
**

**Hopefully I've made the Edo Tensei both believable in terms of trade-off and relative power. It's still strong, but it takes a lot of support and some relatively unique circumstances to really become incredibly dangerous.**

**Now for some "bad" news. This will be the last chapter for a while. As I mentioned before I am participating in NaNoWriMo and while that is going well (11k so far!) that doesn't leave me a lot of time to focus on this story. With the number of converging plotlines and major events coming up, I really need to spend a lot of time making sure I've covered everything and that the pacing works out like it should. **

**For me, that means actually writing out the chapters – I always end up diverging from my notes once I actually begin writing the scenes and exploring how the characters would respond to events. The way conversations or thoughts flow can sometimes completely change around certain situations from how they were in my head. Once I've written the chapters out, I then read through them as a set. That's what I did with the first twelve chapters or so, and I made some significant changes to the earlier chapters based on what I'd written later. I can't go through that process while maintaining my once a week posting schedule. I also have some outstanding issues with previous chapters that have been brought up in reviews that I have yet to properly address, and I'd like to spend some time on those as well.**

**So, I'm going to write everything up through the end of the Chuunin exam arc before I resume my standard posting schedule. There's going to be a _lot _of stuff going on, and it would be way too easy to forget some piece and post a chapter that I later have to correct. I don't mind making corrections for typos, grammar, or clarification, but I haven't had any plot holes yet (that I know of) and I would like to keep it that way.**

**I'll say for sure that I won't be posting anything until the end of November at the earliest, and I'd set expectations for mid-December. Depending on where events end up in terms of chapters I may post another lead-up chapter or two while working on the finale of the arc, but everything is more or less "in place" as far as that goes.**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


	33. Three By Three

-July 31st, 347 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The ANBU left the room and sealed it behind them, once again leaving Kuushou alone with the Hokage. Sarutobi was seated behind his desk this time, his face impassive as he stared at his guest.

Kuushou waited for the Hokage to speak first, more than willing to wait as long as it took. He didn't have to wait long.

"I confirmed some of what you told me," the Hokage said, "but not all of it. The Toads in particular had a rather different perspective on the events you described."

Kuushou just raised a single eyebrow, knowing full well that the Toads would not dare speak a word of those events. "I'm sure they did," he said, amused.

The Hokage didn't say anything for a few moments, then nodded slightly. "I think that, for the time being, we would be best served by focusing on the here and now, rather than on events in the distant past that, ultimately, do not involve Konoha."

"As you like," Kuushou replied impassively.

"Indeed," the Hokage said, his gaze fixed on Kuushou. "To begin with, I would like to discuss the terms of your continued service to Konoha."

The smile slid off of Kuushou's face, replaced with a scowl. "There is no _service,_" he said firmly. "Do not for one moment believe that you can compel or command me in any way, shape, or form."

The Hokage raised one hand in a quelling gesture. "I misspoke," he said smoothly. "I merely wished to discuss the manner in which you would continue to function as a ninja of Konoha, or at least continue giving the appearance of such. Even if you are not beholden to the village in reality, allowing that to become common knowledge would attract a great deal of scrutiny to your situation, scrutiny that we both wish to avoid."

Kuushou smoothed his expression and nodded in reply.

"First is your promotion to Chuunin," Sarutobi said. "The reports from Kakashi, along with your team's performance in the Exam, means that your promotion is already confirmed. Ino and Hinata are borderline – they have the skills and work well as a team, but they tend to follow your lead and haven't demonstrated much personal initiative. The Third Phase will determine how well they can act and react on their own.

"That said, you have the option to leave your team behind once you are promoted to Chuunin. I am prepared to order such a move if you find it necessary to maintain your cover as a loving sibling. I'm sure you would be able to move about more freely if you aren't shackled to teammates."

Kuushou quickly stifled his anger at the Hokage's suggestion. The old man undoubtedly believed he didn't care about Ino or the others at all, a belief he had intentionally tried to foster. His position would be greatly weakened if they knew Ino could be used against him on any level, and reacting to relatively innocuous statements like that would give the game away.

"Perhaps, but I've invested quite a lot of time into my team, after all. And I think it would raise more questions if you suddenly ordered me split apart from the other Clan Kids, don't you?"

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "Possibly. It wouldn't be too hard to come up with a reasonable excuse, but if you would prefer to remain with your team after the promotion, there is plenty of precedent for that as well. If the team remains as a single unit you won't have to establish a track record with a new team, which in turn means that you will move on to the more difficult types of missions and training more quickly.

Kuushou smiled at that. "That would be quite useful."'

"Yes, I'm sure it would," the Hokage said. "With that settled, let's move on to the other Bijuu, shall we?"

Kuushou's face went blank.

"I understand that Gaara's new seal has been quite successful, and both his siblings and his sensei report that he is more relaxed and is settling into a normal sleeping pattern. Using your own chakra as a basis for comparison, we can also confirm that the traces of Bijuu chakra in his system are minimal and nearly inert."

"Your point?"

"When can we expect to make contact with the one-tailed be- Bijuu, or whatever the Bijuu's real name happens to be?"

"It may be quite some time," Kuushou said, adding a hint of frustration to his voice. "My brother was tortured constantly for nearly a century; even for us, recovering from something like that will take time." He ignored the other part of the Hokage's question, having already decided to dole out additional information slowly and with great care. In some ways he may have already revealed too much.

"I see," the Hokage said slowly, looking vaguely disappointed. "I must admit, I had hoped to have the chance to talk to another Bijuu, for a variety of reasons. Is there anything we can do to speed the process? Medical jutsu, perhaps?"

Kuushou snorted. "If such a thing were possible, I would have already done it," he said, sneering slightly.

"Yes, I suppose you would have," the Hokage replied, appearing unconcerned at Kuushou's tone. "Nonetheless, the offer remains open. If we are to become allies in the future, we need to help each other."

Kuushou didn't miss the slightly expectant note in the Hokage's voice.

"To that end," the Hokage continued, "I believe we should pool our resources in regards to the current locations of the other Bijuu." Seeing Kuushou snort again, he said quickly, "I'm sure you have researched them extensively, but there is much information that is not available to the general public or low-ranking ninja. For instance, Konoha has confirmed the identities of no less than five jinchuuriki, in addition to yourself and Gaara." The Hokage stopped speaking, raising an eyebrow and looking at Kuushou expectantly.

Kuushou frowned. That was definitely much more than he had been able to accomplish on his own. The best he had been able to do is confirm that Seika and Atsuzan were likely still in Kumo, and that had been years ago. His best information was badly out of date.

"Very well," he said finally, "what do you want to know?"

The Hokage smiled slightly. "It is considered to be _common knowledge,_" he said, his voice twisting in disgust as he spoke the words, "that the so-called tailed beasts are nothing but mindless engines of destruction. Since that has obviously proven false, I have begun reviewing all the actual evidence we have concerning the Bijuu and the powers the various jinchuuriki have demonstrated, and would like you to confirm my findings.

"Supposedly, the Bijuu are ranked in terms of power according to the number of tails they possess. Until you appeared, the eight-tailed Bijuu was considered the most powerful due to the devastation in the Land of Lightning. Are the Bijuu actually ranked in such a manner according to the number of tails?"

Kuushou snorted. "Not at all. The tails are an affectation, nothing more. We are beings of pure energy, we can have as many or as few tails as we desire. For example," he said, standing up. He smirked at the Hokage as he tensed, then turned so that he presented his profile to the Hokage. Meaningless information such as this should serve to satisfy the Hokage with little risk.

"I could have one tail," he said, sending a streamer of energy out of his tailbone to form the rough shape of a tail, "or a hundred." So saying, he split the single tail into a hundred streamers of energy. They only vaguely resembled tails, being too small and thin for such definition, but there were a hundred of them nonetheless. He drew the energy back into his body and sat back down.

The Hokage's face was pale, but the color was slowly returning. "I see," he said, his voice slightly strangled. "It's good to know that even if we were to encounter a hundred-tailed," his voice broke slightly, and he cleared his throat roughly, "hundred-tailed beast, it would not be particularly meaningful."

The Hokage drew in a deep breath, then focused his attention back on Kuushou. "What do the tails mean, then?"

"What would be the closest thing... ANBU masks? No... think of it like a cross between an ID code and a tattoo. We don't need them to identify each other, but they are useful in our dealings with other beings. If they were to see nine-tails, they would know it was me, regardless of what other features they observed."

"I see...," the Hokage said to himself, "to a species where form is a choice rather than a fact, I suppose such identifiers would be necessary."

Kuushou just shrugged. "If you want to think of it as such, feel free."

"How do you explain the difference in devastation caused by the one-tailed and the eight-tailed, then?"

Kuushou considered that question for a moment. Would he give anything important away by answering, or could he twist what was recorded in the history books to his own ends? "I'm shocked you have to actually ask that question, _Hokage_," Kuushou sneered finally. "Tell me, who is stronger: Gai Maito or Kakashi Hatake?"

"Do you mean physically or... ah."

"Exactly. My eight-tailed brother caused more damage due to a difference in circumstance, not a difference in power. And really, how much _devastation _can you cause in a desert, anyway? No one cares if a sand dune is over here or over there, but you level a mountain and everyone notices."

The Hokage coughed slightly. "A fair point," he said, his voice sounding slightly strained. "So the eight-tailed isn't much stronger than the one-tailed, then?"

Kuushou smirked. "Better to say that the one-tailed isn't much weaker than the eight-tailed, I should think."

"Well, what powers does the eight-tailed possess that would make the circumstances in the Land of Lightning so ideal for causing destruction?"

"That isn't what you need to concern yourself with. Your concern is the powers the jinchuuriki are capable of manifesting, which I daresay you know better than I."

"There is no guarantee that we have seen everything the jinchuuriki can do. Aside from the large chakra reserves, there seems to be little commonality between them."

"There's no guarantee you haven't, either."

The room fell silent as Kuushou and the Hokage locked gazes. After nearly a minute of tension, the Hokage finally spoke. "Knowing the potential limits of a jinchuuriki's power could mean the difference between life and death for any ninja facing them in combat."

"I wouldn't know the limits of the _jinchuuriki's _power to begin with. And besides, you won't need to worry about any of your ninja facing them in combat. You need merely avoid them until I can deal with them."

"You believe you could take on an S-class shinobi in open combat? You may have gotten the better of me once, but I think you'll find that particular success difficult to repeat."

"I am, as I'm sure you'll understand, uniquely qualified to deal with jinchuuriki," Kuushou said, not rising to the Hokage's bait. He hadn't missed the fact that the Hokage's chakra signature was oddly muted, though he wasn't sure what that actually meant. It was the Hokage's signature, certainly, but it was... less, somehow. Weaker.

At first he'd thought the Hokage had simply expended a lot of chakra before the meeting, but upon closer inspection – and with the seals around the office preventing him from sensing anything outside the office, the Hokage's signature was the only thing he had to focus on – there was a very subtle difference. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but it wasn't quite the same as what he sensed when Ino or the others had used up a lot of chakra.

"Hmm... perhaps you are at that," the Hokage admitted, thinking back to the situation with Gaara and how Kuushou had contributed.

"And speaking of Jinchuuriki...," Kuushou prompted.

"Ah yes... aside from yourself and Gaara, Konoha has confirmed that Iwa has two jinchuuriki known only as Han and Roshi, the containers for the four-tailed gorilla and the five-tailed dolphin-horse – though which is which we don't know. Both appear to have retired from active service following the end of the Third War.

"Similarly, Kirabi of Kumo is known to be the jinchuuriki of the eight-tailed ox. He is known as the 'Guardian of Kumo', and is kept in reserve to defend the village itself. Kumo also has the two-tailed cat, though we don't know who the current jinchuuriki is.

"Yagura, the Mizukage, is, or perhaps was, the jinchuuriki of the three-tailed turtle."

Kuushou couldn't quite keep the interest from his face at that. He wanted to see all of his brethren, of course, but making contact with Kounori would be, without a doubt, the most beneficial.

"What do you mean, 'perhaps was'?" Kuushou asked.

"Yagura has been missing for years. We do not believe he has been killed, but no one has seen or heard from him since he disappeared."

Kuushou frowned at that, before motioning the Hokage to continue.

"The last confirmed jinchuuriki we know of actually belongs to one of the minor villages, Taki. The jinchuuriki, a girl known only as Fuu, is the container for the seven-tailed beetle," the Hokage concluded.

Kuushou hummed thoughtfully. "Taki, you say. I'm surprised a minor village has managed to maintain control of a jinchuuriki."

The Hokage nodded in agreement. "Taki is small, even among the minor villages. Their only advantage is their location, which is incredibly easy to defend. Outside of their own village they are mediocre at best, and have no S-class ninja on record other than their jinchuuriki, who rarely leaves the village."

"Interesting...," Kuushou said. "And are the other jinchuuriki treated as Gaara was?"

"It varies," the Hokage admitted. "Yagura managed to become the Mizukage, so he most likely was treated well. Kumo seems to have great respect for Kirabi, and that probably spills over to their other jinchuuriki. We don't know much about Han and Roshi's situation, since our information within Iwa itself is very limited. Fuu's situation is very similar to Gaara's, perhaps even worse since they don't seem to fear her as they do Gaara."

Kuushou growled lowly. "Fuu will be first, then," he said firmly.

"First?"

"It's possible Fuu's seal is like Gaara's, so that must be dealt with as soon as possible."

The Hokage sat back, studying Kuushou's expression thoughtfully. "And how do you plan to accomplish that?"

"Abduct the jinchuuriki, kill her, whatever it takes. Bringing the current jinchuuriki into Konoha's fold would benefit us both the most, I believe, but that is hardly the only option."

"We aren't going to be able to help one another if you kick off the Fourth Shinobi World War, you realize," the Hokage said slowly. "The situation with Gaara is already going to be very delicate. If Konoha suddenly starts stealing jinchuuriki from other villages, they will be forced to react."

Kuushou shrugged. "That is little concern of mine. If you wish to maintain the peace, then come up with a plan that will allow it. I do not care how it happens, as long as it happens."

The Hokage scowled. "Starting a war that destroys the village is little different from destroying the village yourself. If that is your plan, then I might as well kill you now and at least get the benefit of taking you down with us."

Kuushou blinked, then sat back thoughtfully. The room settled into silence once more as the two stared at each other. This time, Kuushou was the one to look away. "You have a point," he admitted. "Very well, if you agree to prioritize the matter of the Taki jinchuuriki's seal, I will work with you to avoid starting a war or situations of that sort, and we'll see how things go from there. Is that acceptable?"

The Hokage held his gaze for a long moment before nodding. "For now, that is acceptable."

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

Shikaku sat back thoughtfully after the Hokage had finished relating the events of the earlier meeting. "I'm beginning to see where his act ends and his true personality begins," he said finally, "but I'm not sure what to make of his insistence that he remain on Team Kakashi."

"Yes, I did not fully believe his reasoning either," the Hokage replied. "He hid it quickly, but there was a flash of anger there. That situation requires further observation."

"Agreed, as does the situation with Gaara. The official story from his jounin-sensei is that the changes to the seal have altered his own powers, and he is training to become accustomed to those changes. However, we have observed no appreciable change compared to his rampage outside the walls of Konoha. According to the ANBU present at the time, he actually seems to have an even easier time of it."

"You believe that the one-tailed Bijuu is awake?"

"We don't have enough information to conclude either way, but Kuushou stands to gain much if we discount the one-tailed Bijuu's influence in our plans."

"What of his focus on Taki's jinchuuriki?"

"He appears to equate Taki and Suna's treatment of their jinchuuriki with the type of seal used. I am uncertain of his reasoning on that, but I feel that it is important. Especially since he reacted to the mention of the three-tailed Bijuu more than any of the others, but still chose the seven-tailed as his first target. That could be a matter of convenience, but his reaction to Gaara shows that he can detect the other Bijuu somehow, so searching for the jinchuuriki known to be out in the open would be less of a risk in many ways."

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "I had similar thoughts. I think we should explore the possibility of renewing our trade agreement with Taki after the Chuunin Exams have concluded. Of course, by that point, it will be your decision," the Hokage said, his voice tinged with amused satisfaction.

"Troublesome...," Shikaku muttered.

* * *

-August 1st, 347 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Konoha Stadium-

The crowd had been slowly drifting into the arena since dawn, some even before then. The pace had picked up an hour ago, when the nobles and wealthy merchants who could afford the more comfortable and much more expensive box seats began entering the arena. Conversations around the arena focused on a few topics: the betting odds for the two matches to be held today; the fact that two Konoha teams and one Suna team – Konoha's ally – had made it to the finals; the surprising success of the previously unknown Oto team in making it all the way to the finals in their first entry into the Chuunin Exams; what the purpose of those wooden frames and rolls of cloth that lined the edge of the arena were; and, with increasing frequency, just what the hell was going on with the arena floor.

Konoha citizens – who made up the majority of the attendees to the exams, since only the wealthy could afford the travel and time off required to attend the exams otherwise – knew that the arena floor was usually a straightforward dirt affair with a few trees scattered about to break up the monotony. They also knew that starting three days ago the floor had been hidden by an opaque barrier. The barrier started at the top of the wall that lined the arena floor and covered it completely, creating a flat surface. A few adventurous souls had tested the barrier and found it to be as solid as rock.

Rumors were rampant about what was hidden by the barrier. The ideas started relatively mildly, with mentions of traps being placed around the arena floor or items buried in strategic locations, but quickly ballooned into outlandish or outright insane ideas such as monsters from the Forest of Death being held inside the barrier to threaten the teams, who would be thrown into the pit and forced to fend for themselves with the survivors declared the winners.

With three days to conjure ever more outlandish ideas, even the visiting nobles had gotten into the act and entirely new betting pools had sprung up around what secrets the barrier contained.

The crowd slowly fell silent as a lone ninja appeared in the middle of the barrier, standing in the middle of the flat surface, suspended in midair nearly a hundred feet off the ground by nothing but chakra. Most of the crowd was impressed by the feat and cheered appreciatively, while the visiting dignitaries and foreign ninja recognized the difficulty of the feat and the complexity of the seals which made it possible.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Konoha Chuunin Exams!" proclaimed Hayate Gekkou, fully enjoying his role as announcer and referee for the Third Phase. He paused to allow the crowd to cheer for a few moments, then resumed speaking.

"Konoha would like to welcome all of you, citizens and visitors alike, and thanks you all for attending this event. We are honored by the presence of nobles from nearly every country in the Elemental Nations, including our valued ally the Wind Lord and, of course, our very own Fire Lord!" Hayate called out, motioning grandly towards the most ornate set of box seats in the stadium.

The crowd roared out its approval again, cheering and stomping their feet. For most, this was the closest they would ever get to the man who ruled their country.

Hayate let the crowd cheer for nearly a minute before he motioned for silence.

"In honor of the Fire Lord's visit, Konoha would like to take this opportunity to unveil our latest sealing breakthrough, a breakthrough that will be used today to show you the Chuunin Exams as they have never been seen before!"

* * *

Sarutobi smiled as Hayate made his announcement, greatly enjoying the reaction of the crowd.

"Your ninja has a way with the crowd," the Kazekage observed.

"I should hope so," Sarutobi replied, "He was chosen for this duty because of that, along with having sufficient skill to easily interfere in the fights if need be."

"I certainly hope I didn't agree to have my genin participate in this... display for no reason. This _will _work properly, I trust?"

"Of course," Sarutobi replied, his voice confident. "Jiraiya-kun has been working on this for years, and I have personally observed several successful tests in various areas. What better time to announce his success than during the Chuunin Exams, when nobles from around the Elemental Nations are in attendance?"

"I must admit that I am surprised you aren't keeping this one entirely to yourself," the Kazekage said.

"I certainly considered it, but we stand to gain much more than we lose by offering this service. And, of course, it's not as if we're going to reveal _everything_, now is it?" the Hokage said, smirking. "Besides, you wrangled your own concessions out of us for this."

"True," the Kazekage said, frowning slightly as he turned back to watch the announcement.

* * *

"You may have noticed the wooden frames lining the arena, and the rolls of cloth upon them. Our very own Jiraiya-sama, one of the only three acknowledged sealing masters in all of the Elemental Nations, has worked tirelessly to create one of the most complex sealing arrays ever conceived, and these simple wooden frames and rolls of cloth are an integral part of that array!"

The crowd murmured in anticipation. If there was one thing Konoha citizens loved above all else, it was reminders about how they were the best in the Elemental Nations, regardless of the field in question; even more so when it was such a powerful and mysterious field as the sealing arts.

Hayate signaled the ninja waiting around the arena, and the rolls of cloth were loosened and stretched out across the wooden frames, then securely fastened in place. Each frame was nearly thirty feet tall and thirty feet across, and it took nearly a minute before the ninja, working as efficiently as they could, had each roll of cloth secured to the frame properly.

"Many ninja have techniques that allow them to peer into the distance or determine what is happening in another location, but they have been limited to only seeing that image for themselves. Never before have they been able to allow others to see what they see... until now!"

As Hayate spoke, each ninja activated a seal at the bottom of the wooden frame, and the white cloth shimmered before resolving into nine evenly divided sections, each displaying a different image. All of the wooden frames were now displaying the same nine images.

* * *

Temari adjusted her forehead protector again, growling in annoyance as it pulled uncomfortably at her hair once more. "Why did we have to do this, again?"

Kankuro shrugged. "Kazekage's orders. Konoha asked, and we had no real reason not to comply," he said, then smirked. "I can't even tell anything is different."

"You're the only one who actually wears his forehead protector around his head normally," Temari grouched, adjusting hers once more.

"Stop messing with it," snapped a Konoha ninja. He was old, with wrinkled skin and gray hair. His fingers were stained nearly black and he wore civilian clothing that was similarly stained. Other than the forehead protector tied around his own head, there was nothing to indicate he was actually a ninja at all. Then again, the pouches filled with ink, brushes, and paper indicated to most ninja that he specialized in sealing rather than the more physical arts.

Temari froze and slowly pulled her hands away. "I'm not going to break it, am I?"

"Of course not," the old man replied, sounding almost offended. "I do good work. Whenever you move it around, the image shifts along with it. It needs to be positioned front and center for the best results."

Temari relaxed slightly, then paused again. "They can't hear us, can they?" she whispered quietly, blushing slightly.

The old man snorted. "Not with these, they can't. Jiraiya-sama might be able to whip something like that up, though. I'm just working off of his template, and this is sight only." He paused, watching as the tags slapped on top of their forehead protectors flared slightly before dimming again. "Well, that's the signal. The people up in the stadium are now seeing whatever those tags are pointed at. Try not to look stupid," the old man said, chuckling. He gathered up his tools and left, still laughing as he closed the door behind him.

"Thanks," Temari said sourly. She reached up to adjust her headband again before growling slightly and forcing her hand down. "This is so annoying."

Gaara stood up and began moving towards the exit. "It's time," he said quietly. His own headband was placed securely around his forehead for the first time in years, but he showed none of the discomfort Temari did.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged quick nods before following their younger brother out into the arena.

* * *

"You can try to figure that out all you want," the seal crafter told the Oto team, smirking. "Jiraiya-sama built all sorts of protections and traps into the seal. _I _couldn't tell you how to make one from scratch, and he trained me personally."

Jirobo simply stared silently at the Konoha ninja, who began to shift uneasily.

"Ah, good, they're working," the crafter said when the tags flared briefly. "I'm done here, so you guys can go do your exam thing," he said, moving quickly towards the door.

Jirobo watched him leave, then turned to face the other Oto ninja. "The Commander would be most impressed to see these for himself," he mused softly.

The other two nodded before following him out into the arena.

* * *

Sarutobi turned his gaze to the screen that had been set up in the Kage's box, noting that both the tags placed on the individual competitors and the tags placed in the individual sections to provide an aerial view were working well. The slight swaying of some of the images as they moved with the ninja they were attached to was a little off-putting, but also unavoidable. They needed to pull off something no other village could possibly do, and giving the audience a first-person view of the battles about to occur would certainly accomplish that.

"Impressive," the Kazekage grudgingly admitted. "I take it this was based off of the Kage Viewing Orbs? The concept seems very similar."

"In part," the Hokage admitted. "It took Jiraiya a very long time to make the necessary changes to the array, however," he added, emphasizing the magnitude of the accomplishment... and the difficulty of reproducing it.

The Kazekage made a noncommittal sound and turned back to the arena.

* * *

The crowd watched in amazement as images from many different parts of the arena were displayed in front of them. The clapping and cheering started after a few moments, soon rising to a fever pitch as they realized they were about to witness a battle between ninjas from a vantage point they would never otherwise see.

Hayate smiled at the audience's reception. The remote viewing arrays were going over very well, and he knew the Hokage was already calculating how much they could charge for their use based on that reaction. Konoha had mostly recovered from previous setbacks, but they also didn't have a lot of breathing room at the moment, financially speaking.

"Konoha will be offering this sealing array as a service to prospective clients, though the exact details have yet to be worked out. Our sealing experts will be available to answer any questions you may have during the intermission for the Third Phase. And, speaking of the Third Phase...," Hayate motioned again, and the Oto and Suna teams were lead out of different tunnels. Each team was led to stand at the top of a set of stairs on opposite sides of the arena.

"In the first two stages of the Chuunin Exams, each team worked together to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Unfortunately, in the real world that may not always be possible. The Third Phase will determine if the individual members of a team can stand on their own merits. In the previous two phases it was entirely possible to complete each phase successfully without entering combat at all, and some teams did indeed manage this feat. Such an outcome is nigh impossible here.

"Instead, each individual must rely on their own skills, abilities, and experience while combating their opponent and securing their objective. Within each area is a simple object that one ninja must maintain control of in order to pass. The first team to either defeat all of their opponents or maintain control of all three of these objects for five continuous minutes will be declared victorious.

"The arena floor has been divided into three sections, each designed to emphasize an aspect of shinobi combat. The top left image before you shows the section designed to emphasize mobility."

The image showed a flat, featureless dirt floor. Only the occasional small rock served to break up the monotony of the area. In the middle of the field was a small black box.

"There are no obstacles, nowhere to hide and, other than small rocks, no objects in the environment to use in combat. In such situations the ninja who can outmaneuver their opponent will often be victorious," Hayate proclaimed, his voice rising and falling as he worked the audience.

"The top middle image displays the section designed to emphasize flexibility."

This image showed countless trees clustered together tightly. There were only a few small breaks in the foliage, allowing the viewers to see that the ground was covered with crisscrossing tree roots. If there a similar box in this section, it was not visible.

"Unlike the first section, there are numerous obstacles at all levels of the forest providing both hazards to avoid and opportunities to ensnare or trick your opponent. Movement requires either great care or great skill and visibility is extremely limited. The winner in this section will most likely be the ninja who can best make use of the terrain.

"The top right image displays the section designed to emphasize endurance."

The third image showed a deep pit that had narrow rock spires jutting out of its depths. Each spire tapered off to a narrow point less than a half a foot wide, and the sides of the spires appeared to be perfectly smooth. The bottom of the pit was shrouded in darkness. Another box was tied to the tip of a spire in the middle of the section.

"Merely remaining on the battlefield will constantly drain any ninja who enters this section, nevermind attempting to battle their opponent. Any attacks will have to be carefully considered lest the ninja wear themselves out and find that they are unable to continue."

Hayate paused a moment to allow the crowd to absorb his words, then resumed speaking.

"Only one ninja from each team will enter a given section. To determine this, the Suna team will choose the section they would like to fight in, while the Oto team will choose which opponent they will face. Neither team will be aware of the other's choices until they actually enter the arena. Once they have made their choices, they will be escorted into the arena and we can begin."

* * *

**A/N: The "new sealing array" reveal serves to emphasize the commercial aspect of the Chuunin Exams; half (or more) of the reason for these things is to show off, and what better way to show off than unveiling some cool new thing that no other village can do? The other villages would have to come up with an answer, buy this setup from Konoha (temporarily and at a ludicrously expensive price, of course), or suffer because they don't put on as good a show for the nobles as Konoha did.**

**The genesis of the idea, of course, only vaguely resembles its presentation here. I already decided that the arena was split into three sections, and it only made sense to have each section firmly blocked off both physically and visibly to emphasize the "team forced to split up" aspect of the exam. If I did that, however, the audience wouldn't be able to see anything.**

**Then again, even in canon the arena is pretty deep, so it seems unlikely that the audience has much of a view anyway. Anyone who has attended a major sporting event in person knows that you can't clearly see what any specific player is doing, even with binoculars; you only get a good view of the field as a whole. Not a big deal with a team sport, but in a close-quarters fight between ninja? You might as well be blind for all the detail you can make out.**

**As such, this could go one of two ways: the canon version, where flashy techniques and big movements are the rule, or a more realistic (to me) view where you have subtle movements and small shifts in battle which are highly important but impossible for the audience to really see. With the latter, allowing the audience to get a much better view of the action would be a major coup for any village, and, in my mind, exactly the sort of thing you'd want to show off to visiting nobles and rich merchants.**

**The next chapter will be sometime after Christmas, most likely.**

**As always, thanks for reading!  
**


	34. Fake It Til You Make It

-August 1st, 347 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Konoha Stadium-

The Suna team made their decision quickly and were escorted down into the arena. The Oto team followed them a short time later. The crowd watched eagerly as the contestants disappeared from view, their speculation and last second betting reaching a fever pitch as they watched the screens to determine which genin would be facing off against one another.

"Very well," Hayate announced once everything was ready. "The first battle of the Third Phase of the Chuunin Exams begins... now!"

* * *

-Open Field-

Gaara stared at his opponent impassively even as the sound of a bell echoed throughout his section of the arena, signaling the start of the battle.

Across from him stood the tallest member of the Oto team. The nearly bald genin wore a plain white shirt and black pants accented with a large purple rope that was tied in an elaborate knot. The Oto-nin was staring back, a small smile on his face.

Gaara waited a moment, wondering if the other genin would make the first move. When he just stood there, continuing to smile, he shrugged and reached over his shoulder to pull the cork off of the gourd strapped to his back. He twisted his hand sharply and the cork came loose with an audible pop. Tossing the cork to the side, he almost negligently willed his sand to flow out of the gourd even as he began grinding the earth beneath his feet into a fine powder.

Ryuudo had spent most of their available time working with him, teaching him how the Bijuu's power _really _worked, but Gaara had only made minimal progress in the time they had available. Ryuudo had shown him an image of what he would eventually be capable of, however, and the mere memory of it made a maniacal grin cross his face.

"You'll be a good test," Gaara told his opponent, still grinning.

"Kukuku...," his opponent chuckled softly, seemingly unconcerned by the increasing amounts of sand floating in the air around Gaara, "I was thinking the same thing about you."

* * *

-Forest-

Kankuro grinned to himself as he leapt into the trees, leaving his gray-haired opponent behind rapidly as he bounced from tree trunk to limb to root-covered ground and back. He wasn't worried about losing sight of his opponent – like any good puppeteer, he had trained extensively in tracking and detection. His art worked best if he could keep his enemy at a distance, but that also meant that he had to work correspondingly harder to make sure he knew where his enemy was and what they were doing.

There _were_ techniques to allow the puppeteer to "see" through the puppet's "eyes", not terribly unlike the ridiculous tag he had slapped on his forehead protector right now, but those could be a double-edged sword. The simpler versions supplanted the user's natural sight with the puppet's sight, rendering the user effectively blind to his own surroundings. The more advanced versions allowed the user to see both at once, but required extensive practice to use effectively. Either could be useful at times, but most found it more expedient to combat their enemies through more mundane means.

He unwrapped Karasu and performed a henge to make the puppet look like himself, then extended chakra strings to take control of his prized creation. The forest terrain allowed him plenty of opportunity to maneuver his puppet close to his opponent, even if the many trees would make maintaining his chakra strings a little trickier than usual. They could travel through solid objects, but the minor variations introduced by doing so altered the way the puppet functioned ever so slightly. Accounting for all of these little nuances while fighting a battle taking place dozens of feet or more away was the heart and soul of his art. He lived for moments like this, moments that stretched his skills and broadened his experience.

He circled back around with Karasu leading the way, easily picking up the other ninja's trail. The gray-haired Oto-nin had stopped in the only clearing within the heavily forested section, apparently giving up on engaging Kankuro within the confines of the forest.

Kankuro just shook his head in disgust even as Karasu leapt into the clearing and dashed forward to engage the other ninja in hand-to-hand. He took a moment to admire how realistic Karasu's movements looked, even if it was stiffer and slower than what he himself was capable of. It was passable taijutsu, but Karasu wasn't dangerous because he could hit the opponent. No, Karasu's real danger came when the opponent struck back.

Sure enough, the gray-haired ninja smirked and began pressing forward, clearly believing he had the superior skills in taijutsu. Kankuro was just about to engage Karasu's hidden blades when he detected someone circling around behind him. He quickly leapt aside while simultaneously disengaging Karasu from its own fight, and not a moment too soon. Several kunai flew out of the forest behind him and whipped through the air where he had previously been crouching on a tree branch.

How ironic. Apparently his puppet had been fighting some sort of clone. He mentally raised his estimation of his opponent even as he vanished into the forest again, prepared to engage in a game of cat and mouse, the kind of game where he excelled.

* * *

-Pit-

Temari growled in annoyance as she eyed the black box tied to the nearby spire. Her opponent was staying well away from her – far enough away that her standard ranged attacks were easily dodged – and yet he was stubbornly refusing to let her approach the box. Whenever she moved closer, he would launch an arrow from that ridiculous bow of his and she would be forced to dodge. She would have scoffed at the mere idea of a ninja using an actual _bow _of all things, but the Oto-nin fired arrows faster than most ninja could fling kunai, and he was disturbingly accurate.

The fact that the arrows lanced straight through the solid stone spires, sometimes two in a row, meant she had to respect their potential lethality, if nothing else.

She had initially tried to counter his arrows with her fan, only to find herself nearly overwhelmed by a steady barrage of projectiles. The Oto-nin had launched arrow after arrow, spread out such that she had to use a new wind jutsu for each one. He seemed perfectly content to keep up that pace without end, so Temari had quickly abandoned that approach lest she drive herself into chakra exhaustion.

Which led to her current situation, staring across the seemingly bottomless pit at her bow-wielding opponent, who was staring right back at her with a bored expression on his face. He had made no move to approach the box or do anything other than preventing her from seizing it for herself.

Truthfully, she didn't really need to do anything herself, either. The rules meant that each team had to incapacitate or outmaneuver all of the opposing genin in order to advance, and she had no doubt that Gaara would win his own bout easily, regardless of who his opponent was. Any delaying tactics would surely benefit her more than her opponent.

Unfortunately, her pride wouldn't let her leave things at that. She wasn't about to rely on her younger brother, even if she freely acknowledged that he was the most dangerous member of their team. So first, she had to find a way to counter or negate his arrows.

* * *

-Stands-

Kurenai sat with her team in the ninja section of the stands, observing the first round of the Third Phase. The team that beat her own – Team Gai – would be fighting in the next round and had already been sequestered somewhere within the bowels of the stadium. She had heard that they would still be able to observe the match somehow; she assumed through the use of a screen like the one she was watching now.

The genjutsu work that went into the projection was both astonishingly simple and absurdly complicated. She didn't know what the seals attached to the genin were doing, but the screens before her were using a Mirage-class genjutsu, a chakra construct that was anchored to a physical object and then showed a predetermined image. The only limitations were chakra and imagination, as both the size of the image and its duration were determined based on how much chakra was fed into the technique while the image itself was determined by the caster.

Jiraiya-sama had somehow managed to alter the technique so that instead of a predetermined image, the genjutsu changed on the fly to display whatever the connected tag was observing. She could count on two hands the number of people within Konoha capable of altering a Mirage after it was set, and aside from herself all of them were in the Kurama clan. Even Sakura, who she felt was already well on her way to following in her own footsteps to become a Genjutsu Mistress, wasn't capable of that particular feat yet.

Shaking her head slightly, she focused her attention back on the battle at hand, or one particular part of it.

Gaara, Suna's jinchuuriki, appeared to be completely dominating his own match as he flung his sand back and forth, forming grasping hands and writhing tendrils as he attempted to ensnare his opponent. Yet, despite the speed with which he manipulated the sand and the sheer amount of it he commanded, his opponent continued to evade his grasp.

"Kami...," Sakura breathed. "Are those really genin down there?"

Kurenai shook her head as she glanced at the other battles in progress. Temari and her opponent seemed to be playing a waiting game, with Temari making the occasional move to seize the black box and her opponent preventing her from doing so, but nothing else.

Kankuro was engaged in a strange game of tag with his own opponent. Kankuro was a puppet-user, and a damn good one as far as she could tell, but somehow his opponent kept slipping out of his grasp and nearly getting the drop on him.

"Well," Kurenai said, addressing Sakura's question, "from what I've seen so far, all of the ninja on both teams are a solid B-rank at least. Even if they lacked proper leadership skills for the full-jounin track, their combat prowess means they should be well on their way to tokubetsu jounin already."

"I am not familiar with the style of jutsu the red-headed Suna genin is using," Shino said quietly. "He does not appear to employ any distinct hand seals, and I have never heard of a jutsu that allows one to command the elements so freely, even for something as loose as sand."

"That's... a skill unique to Suna," Kurenai replied eventually. Technically it wasn't Konoha's secret, or even much of a secret at all for that matter, but she didn't feel like explaining the concept of a jinchuuriki at the moment. The Academy only touched on the most basic details of the tailed beasts and didn't address the particulars of how they were defeated at all. The subject of jinchuuriki was usually covered along with the profiles of prominent bloodlines and ninja from other villages when an individual began taking missions outside of Fire Country; until then it was felt that their time was better spent training up their skills and studying more generally applicable tactics and information.

Sasuke cursed quietly under his breath, and Kurenai turned just in time to see him deactivating his sharingan. She raised her eyebrow and he responded with a rueful shrug.

"It was worth a try," he said. "I wanted to see how it worked."

Kurenai allowed herself a moment to enjoy the irony. Since the images were essentially a genjutsu, anyone using their sharingan would actually see nothing at all, rather than dissecting and potentially copying the movements and jutsu displayed.

"I doubt you could copy it in any case," Kurenai said, smirking slightly. "I daresay that particular technique requires massive chakra reserves, far more than most genin would have."

* * *

-Stands-

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully as he watched the scene before him. He was sitting in the Konoha ninja section of the stands, located directly below the Kage's viewing box. Surrounding him were nearly a hundred chuunin and a small handful of jounin, all focused on the match currently taking place.

"Something's off about that forest match-up," he commented idly to his companion.

"It is a most youthful battle of wits," Gai replied boisterously.

Kakashi shook his head. "Judging from the images the real Oto-nin was fighting the puppet the whole time, so what attacked Kankuro? I didn't see the Oto-nin perform any jutsu that could explain that, and he certainly never caught sight of Kankuro himself."

"Hmm...," Gai said, assuming a thoughtful pose. "The images from the most youthful invention of Jiraiya-sama's do not show us everything. It is possible he performed a jutsu that simply did not have any visible results where the seal was pointed."

"Possible," Kakashi allowed, frowning.

* * *

-Open Field-

Gaara frowned slightly, the only outward sign of his increasing irritation. Never before had he come across someone so annoyingly agile; that his opponent appeared slightly out of shape and built more for power than speed only annoyed him further.

If he didn't know better, he would have thought his control over his sand had slipped. That wasn't the problem, however, as he could easily tell that he was able to move the sand faster, more easily, and while expending less chakra.

No, the problem was that his opponent was simply that fast. Of course, his opponent had also failed to get within five meters of him, and all of the Oto-nin's ranged attacks with kunai and shuriken had failed to penetrate his sand-based defenses. Gaara had yet to take a single step since the beginning of the battle, as he simply did not see the need. He was gradually increasing the amount of sand he had available and it was only a matter of time before he had enough to cover the entire section of the arena he was in.

Gaara had seized the black box sitting in the middle of the arena with his first wave of sand, mindful of the nominal purpose of the exam. His opponent didn't seem to care about that and made no move to stop him or reclaim the box.

He made another sweeping gesture with his hand and a wave of sand moved towards the Oto-nin. Rather than appearing worried, the large genin almost leisurely dodged away, avoiding the tendrils which branched out of the wave just as easily.

"I'm rather disappointed," his opponent taunted, his voice slightly sibilant as he spoke. "I had expected rather more variety from Suna's not-so-secret weapon. I guess this is the limit of what you can do." He wore a mocking smile, and shook his head sadly as he spread his hands and shrugged.

Gaara's frown deepened, out of anger this time. He wasn't sure if his anger stemmed from the suggestion that he was nothing more than a tool for Suna, the idea that he was weak, or if his opponent was just that annoying.

Ultimately, it didn't matter. He had a new technique to try out, and while he had originally intended to save it for his battle with Kuushou the next day, now would do just as well.

He brought his hands together in front of him and began slowly going through the handsigns required for his next jutsu. Even by genin standards his speed with the handsigns was abysmal, taking nearly a second to position his hands correctly for each one; by his own standards, he had improved by leaps and bounds since Jiraiya-sama had corrected his seal. Then again, improvement wasn't necessarily the right word, since he'd never bothered to practice handseals before.

Which, he reflected, meant this was the first time he was using an actual jutsu in battle.

"Earth Style: Earth Clone," he intoned, his gruff voice ringing across the field.

Nine shapes rose out of the ground around him, all of them slowly changing as they gained both color and definition until ten Gaara's stood in the arena, staring solemnly at the Oto genin. The Oto-nin was no longer smiling.

Then sand began pouring out of the gourds on the clone's backs, and his opponent looked worried for the first time since the battle began.

* * *

-Stands-

"Gai?"

"Yes, my eternal rival?" came the reply, the jounin's normally boisterous voice unusually solemn.

"Is the hopefully-not-crazy-anymore jinchuuriki using clones, all of which appear to have just as much command over sand as the original does?"

"Yes, my eternal rival."

"Just checking."

In a nearby section of the stands, an ANBU looked out from his post and observed the images displayed on the screens. This ANBU had been present during Gaara's breakdown, and had witnessed firsthand the destruction caused by the out of control jinchuuriki. The ANBU's sentiments were much more concise.

"Oh, fuck me."

* * *

-Kage Box-

Sarutobi turned to look at his counterpart, who seemed to have choked on the water he had been drinking. "Are you alright, Kazekage-dono?" he asked, sounding concerned.

The Kazekage cleared his throat roughly, holding up one hand. "I'm fine," he said at length, "just... a little startled. Thank you for your concern, Hokage-dono."

Sarutobi eyed the Kazekage's expression, or at least what was visible of it behind his veil. His jaw was clenched and he seemed to be glaring at the screen, but there were small beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Interesting.

Sarutobi turned back to the screen and studied the clones Gaara had just created. Each seemed to operate semi-independently from the original, but they still moved as a cohesive unit as they began to quickly corner the agile Oto-nin. He couldn't get a good read on their physical capacity relative to the original, as the original had yet to take a single step and the clones were walking as they slowly spread out around the arena.

He mentally elevated Gaara's threat level to AAA, possibly even S. There was no good way to gauge just how autonomous the clones would be in a more open setting; earth clones tended to be fairly simplistic unless directly controlled by their creator, but the one-tailed Bijuu's influence could alter that in unforeseen ways. Similarly, there was no good way to determine the potential range of the clones or the extent they could use Gaara's own control over sand.

The Hokage was more interested in what the use of a jutsu, a clone jutsu at that, indicated about the state of the Bijuu within Gaara. The use of a human jutsu might indicate that Gaara was exploring options that didn't rely on the Bijuu's powers, a sign that he was seeking independence from the being sealed within him. On the other hand, he seemed to be using the jutsu primarily as an additional channel for the Bijuu's chakra, another way to manipulate the sand, which could indicate increased influence from the Bijuu.

Sarutobi mentally sighed and set the matter aside; he was grasping at straws now. Better to reserve judgment for when he had more information.

* * *

-Konoha-

Anko sauntered casually through the city streets, idly chewing on her fresh skewer of dango. She could hear the distant roar of the stadium, which meant that the Chuunin Exams were officially underway. Part of her wanted to be there to witness the coming battles, especially since she knew that two teams from the Clan Kids were competing. Then there was the jinchuuriki kid from Suna - it wasn't often a ninja got the chance to observe a container in action without being the target of said action.

On the other hand, she was drawing double-A rank pay for this particular mission. That was a _lot _of dango. It was also her first official mission as a full jounin, and one that could prevent a lot of damage to Konoha in the coming days. She wasn't about to botch such an important mission.

Even as she walked down the street, drawing the envious and admiring stares of the civilians unable to attend the exams, her team was following her discreetly, keeping an eye on the people around her. If anyone was going to try to infiltrate Konoha, they would be active now, while the Exams were drawing the majority of the ninja away from their normal posts. This would be their best chance to access areas normally guarded or watched by ninja or even civilians. She'd already interrupted two would be thieves trying to break into unguarded stores, though she didn't think either of them were enemy agents. She'd sent them on to T&I anyway - better safe than sorry and all that.

Her nose twitched slightly as she felt the telltale signs of a jutsu being used; it was small, almost imperceptible, but it was there. She wasn't a full-fledged sensor by any stretch of the imagination, but she had been trained relentlessly until she was the next best thing. She could detect most jutsu used within one hundred meters, and in most cases could narrow it down to a specific type of jutsu if she was within twenty. This particular jutsu was a sustained illusion type, most likely a henge.

She pulled the last dango off the stick, chewing slowly to savor the taste, before breaking the stick in half and tossing it aside, the sharp end just happening to land pointing towards the area where she had detected the jutsu in use. Her team caught the signal and began to move in that direction, ready to follow and possibly apprehend the suspect.

Anko lifted one arm straight up and looped her other arm behind her head as she rose onto her tiptoes and arched her back, stretching languorously in the middle of the road. Her coat gaped wide open at the motion, revealing her tight mesh bodysuit and the lithe body it contained. She snickered to herself as she heard someone drop a tray of dishes nearby, then turned and resumed her walk in a seemingly random direction.

Time to get to work.

* * *

-Forest-

Kankuro was not happy. He had cornered his opponent no less than four times in the last ten minutes, but _every _time it turned out that he had been attacking some sort of advanced clone and he ended up nearly falling into his opponent's ambush. Not only was this incredibly irritating in terms of the fight itself, but it also meant that his tracking and ambush skills were inferior to his opponent's, and that was a direct affront to his pride.

"No more playing around," he growled lowly to himself. His fingers twitched, and a series of hollow clicking noises emanated from his puppet. The next time he found his opponent would be the last.

* * *

-Pit-

Temari carefully examined the arrow, keeping one eye on her opponent as she did so. As she thought, the arrow was heavy and turned out to be fashioned entirely of metal, even the fletching. That also explained the speed with which her opponent fired the arrows; he did so not because he could, but because he had to if he wanted them to strike their target properly. The rigid metal fins would not stabilize the arrow nearly as well as real feathers would.

She couldn't detect any sort of poisons on the projectile, but knew enough about the use of toxic substances from her brother's art to know that meant nothing. She used a small cloth to avoid making direct contact with the arrow in any case.

Satisfied that she wasn't going to find a weakness to exploit in the arrows themselves, she sighed and tossed the arrow aside. It looked like she was going to have to use one of her stronger jutsu to break this stalemate.

She hefted her battle fan and opened it completely, beginning to wave it back and forth in the air with one hand as her other began forming handseals in time with the fan's motion. The wind around her began to churn.

* * *

-Open Field-

Gaara's opponent was in constant motion now, leaping and diving and rolling to avoid the sand all around him. The clones stared at him impassively even as the sand under their command whipped through the air, forcing the Oto-nin into a smaller and smaller area.

There was enough sand flying through the air that Gaara began to fashion a solid wall out of it, surrounding the Oto-nin on each side and gradually closing in. The ninja was trapped now, and Gaara decided to savor the moment as he ceased sending out grasping hands and tendrils and allowed his doomed opponent to stare at the slowly encroaching walls.

The ninja's hands twitched and his expression turned slightly annoyed before he raised his hand and shouted, "I forfeit."

Gaara paused, the walls of sand no longer advancing, as he cocked his head to the side. It took him a moment to remember that his opponent was allowed to do that, and that he wasn't supposed to kill or even hurt the other genin now.

A pity.

"Jirobo of Oto has surrendered," Hayate announced, "a wise decision in the circumstances."

The crowd booed and jeered the Oto-nin, but the ninja among them just nodded sagely. The ability to recognize certain defeat was essential, and the lack of it had led to the death of many a foolish ninja.

"Gaara of Sand may now lower the barrier to one of the other areas," Hayate continued.

Gaara waited a moment before shrugging slightly and moving to the right. It didn't really matter which way he went; he doubted the other ninja would be as agile as his own opponent and with the amount of sand he now had available the battle would end quickly in any case.

* * *

-Pit-

Temari cursed when one of the barrier walls shimmered and disappeared, suddenly and drastically altering the wind currents within the area. She scrambled to make adjustments to her jutsu, then noticed who was entering her section and decided not to bother. She lowered her fan and let the jutsu die out.

Her opponent apparently noticed as well, because she heard him crying out, "I surrender!" a moment later.

* * *

-Forest-

Kankuro frowned when he saw the shimmering blue field in the distance disappear; Gaara or Temari must have won already, he concluded. He didn't mind the help, but he had really hoped to defeat this slippery bastard on his own.

"I give up!" he heard a voice calling out, more than thirty feet away from where he had thought his target to be.

He cursed loudly even as the announcer declared his team would be advancing to the final round. His complete inability to control the battle left him feeling like he personally had lost, even if his opponent had never actually managed to land a hit on him.

* * *

-Stands-

Kakashi was frowning deeply now.

"They gave up far too easily," he muttered.

"Indeed, their flames of youth were most lacking in that regard."

"No... look at them," Kakashi said, motioning to the Oto team. The images from the seals attached to the genin were still displayed on the screens, allowing them to get a close look at the teams. "Do any of them look winded to you?"

Gai frowned. "No," he admitted, "they do not. In fact, even the one who faced Gaara does not appear to have exerted himself much."

"The Suna team – other than Gaara, anyway – looks like they've been doing _something_, but even they look like they could keep going for quite some time."

"I see...," Gai said, rubbing his chin. "Now that I think back on it, none of the Oto genin used ninjutsu of any kind that I recall. There could be a reasonable explanation for this," he allowed, "but..."

"Yeah," Kakashi agreed, "but."

* * *

-Arena-

"The Suna team advances to the final round!" Hayate proclaimed, allowing the crowd several seconds to cheer the victorious genin. "They will now retire to a specially prepared suite within the stadium where they will be allowed to rest and recover in preparation for tomorrow's battle.

"Our next fight will begin at two in the afternoon," Hayate announced. "Until that time, you are free to remain in the arena and witness some of the demonstrations and exhibitions that will be held for your entertainment, or you may exit the arena and partake of the many attractions Konoha has to offer. I would also like to remind our visitors that many of Konoha's sealing experts are located in and around the arena to answer any questions you may have regarding Konoha's latest innovation."

* * *

-Team Kakashi's Suite-

"Well, that was rather interesting," Kuushou said.

"Kinda boring if you ask me," Ino muttered. "Gaara dominated from the start and Kankuro kept screwing around with his opponent, even if the whole puppet thing is pretty cool. Temari's opponent surrendered just when she was about to do something impressive, too. I wanted to see what sort of awesome wind jutsu she was going to pull out."

"Aside from Gaara-san, all of them seemed to be holding back significantly," Hinata observed.

Kuushou snorted. "I'm not sure Gaara even knows what 'holding back' means," he said. "Still, what makes you say that?"

"None of them showed any signs of strain, and they were not sweating significantly either. Gaara-san's match seems to have been the deciding factor from the start, given how quickly the other Oto-nin surrendered once that match was resolved."

Kuushou tapped his fingers along the edge of the couch rhythmically as he recalled the battles they had just witnessed. "You're right," he said finally. "None of them were trying very hard."

"They weren't upset about losing, either," Ino added. "Or they hid it very, very well."

Kuushou shrugged silently. It was expected for a ninja to study their opponents whenever possible, but they had more immediate concerns to address.

"In any case, we've got a few hours before our fight and some new rules and battle conditions to take into account," he said, motioning to the screen that dominated one wall of the suite. "We don't know if we'll be picking the section we fight in or the person we'll be fighting, so we need to be prepared for both."

* * *

-12:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The Hokage reviewed the reports spread out on his desk. The teams sweeping Konoha during the exams had captured eleven suspects, but so far most of them had turned out to be petty criminals. Anko's team had captured a foreign ninja using a henge, and while the suspect had not been able to adequately explain his purpose for doing so, they had also not found anything more damning than that. Further, he did have legitimate papers that identified him as a Grass ninja visiting to observe the Chuunin Exams. The Yamanaka were working on him, but it would be slow going since they didn't have sufficient cause to destroy his mind in order to retrieve information. At the very least they would keep him locked up until after the Exams were concluded, as a precaution if nothing else.

Shikaku and the rest of the ninja involved in the emergency planning all agreed that the so-called disruption was going to take place tomorrow, though they differed on the exact timing. Some felt it would happen during the match, some during the closing ceremony, and some felt that it would be timed to match the peak of traffic flowing out of Konoha.

Then there was the matter of the Oto team. He hadn't been the only one to notice that the supposed genin were much more skilled than they should be and yet were_ not_ showing off. They had expected such a new village to send experienced ninja in order to make a good impression, and the Oto team certainly had the skills to do so. They had demonstrated a level of poise and experience most Chuunin would be hard pressed to match.

However, that was _all _they displayed. They hadn't put on a show for the crowd – quite the opposite, in fact. Most civilians probably thought that the Oto team, and thus the village itself, was pathetic. Their actions in the exam did not match up with what their purpose should have been, which meant that they had some other purpose. It wasn't a difficult step to connect their actions with the "disruption" that would be taking place the next day. Their behavior would make perfect sense if they were conserving their strength for another task. The only question was if they were connected to some piece of it Konoha was already aware of, or if they were yet another side in the coming mess.

"Shikaku," he said finally, "who do we have monitoring the Oto team?"

"Team Noburo, consisting of a tokubetsu jounin and three chuunin. They have been assigned to the Oto team since they first arrived," Shikaku recited from memory.

"I see... based on what you saw earlier, do you think Team Noburo could subdue them if required?"

"Impossible to say," Shikaku replied immediately. "The only thing we can say for certain is that Oto team was holding back significantly. Based on their poise, speed, and endurance I would rate the team as a whole a B-rank threat, minimum."

Sarutobi nodded. "I think the Oto team merits additional attention. Supplement Team Noburo with an A-ranked assault squad. If the Oto team is involved with the mess tomorrow, I want them dealt with. Capture, if possible, but only if feasible."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

* * *

**A/N: I never seem to get as much writing done as I would like over the holidays.**

**I think I see now why so many stories fizzle out when they hit the Chuunin Exams. In canon, they were a huge deal and all sorts of important events and revelations took place. Once you've read them once, however... they're kinda boring and pointless. All that tension about who would get promoted and so on is just a smokescreen; in the long run none of it matters. For the overall plot, Sasuke's cursed seal, Gaara's redemption, Naruto meeting Jiraiya, and the Sandaime's death are the important bits. Everything else is fluff, and without the tension granted by the audience really truly believing that the Chuunin Exam itself is important... yeah, it kinda drags.**

**I've also shot myself in the foot somewhat, since the characters in the story view the Exams as merely a stepping stone, not an end in and of itself, and I've telegraphed certain events that further lower the tension as related to the actual exams. This battle in particular was nasty, since I established a few chapters back that the Oto team was never going to take it seriously. I still felt, however, that I had to cover this fight in story. Hopefully this more analytical, audience-response approach works well enough.**

**Another problem is juggling all the different plot threads I've got going while keeping things moving forward. I also want to avoid adding yet more perspectives to the story, especially since they'll be temporary in this case. The Anko and Sarutobi scenes function to touch on the "disruption" aspects, detailing what Konoha is doing and what they've figured out so far. Until things actually kick off that will most likely continue to be my approach. Fortunately that won't be too long now.  
**

**Were I to rewrite the story or write another Naruto fic that covers this period, I'd probably handle things differently. Leave more things up to implication, for one thing. I'm still struggling with finding that balance between holding back information from the reader and still giving enough hints that it doesn't look like I'm just pulling things out of thin air.  
**

**My plan is to return to my one chapter a week schedule up to the end of Part II, then focus on getting at least five chapters into Part III before I start posting any of that. Of course, while I was struggling with the Suna v. Oto fight, I wrote quite a bit on the ZnT crossover, which will be posted later today. That story is still in the "setup" phase, and dreaming up confrontations and ways to subvert the ZnT setting is quite fun.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading!  
**


	35. Tricks Of The Trade

-August 1st, 347 NE-

-1:45 PM-

-Arena-

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed nobles, Wind Lord-sama, Fire Lord-sama, welcome back to the Chuunin Exams!" Hayate proclaimed. "I hope you were suitably entertained during the intermission and that you found the food available in Konoha to your liking. Now, what you have all been waiting for: the next round of the Exams!

"This battle will pit two Konoha teams against each other. The first team is Team Gai, a genin team that has been together for nearly two years now who are participating in the Chuunin Exams for the first time. Their record is impeccable, with fourteen C-rank and three B-rank missions to their name – a highly unusual feat for a team without a single chuunin among them."

Surprisingly few people in the crowd noticed that Hayate was providing a great deal more background information about the Konoha teams than he had either the Suna or Oto teams, as they were too caught up in the excitement of the moment.

"The first member of Team Gai is Tenten Higurashi, a civilian-born kunoichi who rose to the top of her class to graduate as Kunoichi of the year, and who has since proven herself a very effective and promising ninja."

The crowd cheered loudly at that, especially the civilians among them. Tenten's expression remained focused and stoic, but there was a slight blush staining her cheeks as she took in the crowd's reception.

"The next member of Team Gai is Neji Hyuuga, who graduated Rookie of the Year, is considered one of the most powerful Jyuuken users of his generation, and possesses the famed All-Seeing Eye."

The crowd cheered again, although for different reasons. In the wake of the Uchiha Rebellion, the Hyuuga clan had become the most prominent and favored clan in Konoha. Most of the crowd had never heard of Neji before, but they still recognized the Hyuuga name.

"The final member of Team Gai is Rock Lee, a civilian-born ninja who is widely considered to be a future taijutsu master, a future many believe to be not so distant!"

Hayate paused for a moment to allow the crowd to settle down before he moved on to the rest of the introductions.

"Their opponents will be the members of Team Kakashi, who have been genin for less than a year. Don't let their supposed inexperience fool you, however, for they have amassed no less than six C-rank missions in that brief time, all successful.

"Team Kakashi consists of Hinata Hyuuga, the heiress of the Hyuuga clan who, like her cousin Neji, is considered one of the most powerful Jyuuken users of her generation and possesses of the famed All-Seeing Eye. If we are lucky, we may witness a battle between these two ninja, a battle between two Jyuuken users, a sight that you will never have the chance to experience anywhere but Konoha!

"The next member of Team Kakashi is Ino Yamanaka, who graduated Kunoichi of the Year in one of Konoha's strongest graduating classes. She is the heiress of the Yamanaka clan and is able to wield her family's jutsu to devastating effect.

"And last, but certainly not least, is Naruto Yamanaka!"

The volume in the crowd rose sharply as Konoha cheered its "little hero" with all of their might. The foreign visitors were stunned at the village's reaction to a mere genin.

"Naruto graduated Rookie of the Year and is already regarded as one of Konoha's strongest genin. He is also a fully qualified med-nin who trained under Konoha's own Shizune Katou for a number of years."

With the last of his introductions made, Hayate let the crowd's cheering continue for a bit before he spoke up again.

"This match promises to be one to watch closely. Before we begin, Team Gai will select the battlefield while the members of Team Kakashi will select their opponents. Each team has two minutes to decide, starting now!"

It took much less time than that; both teams had their answers ready.

* * *

-Open Field-

"Yosh! Naruto-kun, I had hoped I would be facing you in battle!" Lee proclaimed.

Kuushou just grinned widely and settled into a loose stance.

* * *

-Forest-

"As expected, Hinata-sama," Neji said calmly. "Our byakugan is best suited to the forest, just as we are best suited to face one another in battle."

"Yes, Neji-nii-san," Hinata replied, every bit as calm and collected as her cousin. "It has been some time since we last faced one another. I hope you have trained hard, for I have learned much in my time with my team."

"As have I, Hinata-sama."

* * *

-Pit-

Ino frowned at her opponent as she crouched on the side of a spire.

"You look way too happy right now," she noted sourly.

Tenten just nodded eagerly, managing to bounce in place even as she stood sideways on the rocky pillar.

* * *

-Arena-

"With the genin in place and the barriers prepared, the second round of the Third Phase of the Chuunin Exams, Team Gai versus Team Kakashi, can now... begin!"

* * *

-Open Field-

The sound of the bell had barely begun to fade before Lee launched himself forward. Kuushou rolled to the side to avoid Lee's spinning kick and was back on his feet and in his stance a moment later.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Lee cried out enthusiastically, seemingly not caring that his initial attack had failed.

"You've gotten faster," Kuushou said, a bit of admiration in his voice. He respected few things, but power was one of them, and for a genin Lee certainly had that.

"As have you, Naruto-kun!" Lee replied. He bounced on his toes twice then was suddenly moving forward.

Kuushou began dodging and waving around Lee's attacks, but unlike his battle with Kiba he had to focus to do so. He soon found himself forced to block when dodging failed him, his forearms and shins trembling under Lee's assault. His youki was hard at work correcting the damage Lee caused, but his opponent's blows were powerful. A couple of those hits had severely stressed his bones, and one of them would likely have cracked by now were he not continually healing himself.

He tried to counter, to force Lee away and shift the fight in his favor, and immediately regretted it. He used a quick jab, his hand blurring through the air. Against another opponent it would have made contact, and if properly placed might have been sufficient to end the fight. Against Lee it was an opening that was ruthlessly exploited.

He felt Lee grabbing his arm and pulling, shifting his center of gravity forward. The next instant he felt Lee's foot making contact with his stomach and he was flung off the ground. A moment after that Lee was next to him, somehow managing to stay behind him as he moved through the air.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!" Lee announced happily as bandages began to wrap around Kuushou's body.

Kakashi had warned him about this particular maneuver, and he knew better than to let Lee complete it. Abandoning the taijutsu battle as a lost cause – he wasn't terribly surprised that Lee had proven once again to be better than him in that regard, though he was a little annoyed – he brought his hands together before they could be restrained by the bandages and began rapidly moving through handseals.

"Wind Style: Burst!" he called out. He didn't need to announce the name of the jutsu any more than he needed to use the handseals, but countless ninja were watching and it wouldn't do to give away his true abilities unnecessarily.

The air around him shimmered for a moment before gale-force winds exploded outwards, with him at the center. The bandages attempting to bind him were ripped and torn and Lee gave a shocked cry before he was blown away. Kuushou continued his descent to the ground and landed in a crouch, easily absorbing the impact.

He turned to face Lee, finding the other genin already on his feet with a wide smile on his face. "As expected, Naruto-kun! I knew that wouldn't be enough to defeat you!"

"Then why did you try?" Kuushou asked curiously.

"One must kindle the flames of youth properly! The flames of youth must grow at a measured pace lest they burn themselves out prematurely!"

"... right," Kuushou finally replied.

"Yosh, Naruto-kun!" Lee announced, stomping each foot on the ground once and slapping his hands on his forearms in some odd ritual. "Let us continue!"

* * *

-Forest-

Hinata and Neji closed in and engaged in their Jyuuken duel as they had literally thousands of times before, each knowing the other's moves almost as well as they knew their own. Hinata flowed around Neji's strikes, her movements quick and sharp, while Neji met her attacks head on, his entire body moving with precision as he carefully deflected each blow with minimal effort.

Hinata was counting on that, counting on using Neji's familiarity with her style and his admittedly well-founded confidence that he would likely emerge battered but victorious. She slid around Neji's hand, her own blurring forward in a practiced motion, but her real attack came from another direction entirely.

Kakashi had given her a challenge on their second day as a team, one that had shocked her with both its simplicity and its ambition. The idea had probably come up in the early days of the style's creation, but had been dismissed due to its difficulty and the fact that it clashed with the fundamental principles of the style. The majority of the Jyuuken users, Neji included, would likely never be able to pull off what Kakashi had suggested.

Hinata, on the other hand, was uniquely suited for it.

Hinata's foot lashed out, aimed at Neji's ankle and primed with a spike of chakra that would penetrate the major tenketsu point there. In this difficult terrain where they were both using chakra extensively to solidify their footing, such a blow would cripple him and would in all likelihood end the fight with that one strike.

Hinata didn't miss the flare of chakra Neji emitted, but she was so stunned by what it implied and the fact that Neji was capable of _that _jutsu that she almost didn't react in time. She eventually did react, throwing herself backwards, but not in time to escape entirely. The sphere of chakra that exploded from Neji's body caught her in midair, launching her towards a nearby tree. She landed heavily, but still on her feet and ready to move again if she needed to.

The sphere also shattered the root they had been standing on, causing Neji to abandon the jutsu almost as soon as it began in order to leap to firmer ground.

"Kaiten?" Hinata asked, her voice tinged with awe. Kaiten was one of the most powerful and difficult techniques of Jyuuken, beyond the capabilities of most Hyuuga to accomplish at all, nevermind so young.

Neji nodded, a similar look of astonishment on his face. "Gai-sensei and my teammates helped me master it," he admitted, "but you... I didn't think that was even _possible!_"

Neji had probably seen the chakra gathered in her foot and reacted, just as she had seen the warning signs of his Kaiten and responded accordingly. Still, while her surprise attack had failed, she had come out of that particular exchange the victor. The Kaiten's major flaw was that it took an incredible amount of chakra to maintain, even for the brief seconds Neji had kept it going.

Her own attack, on the other hand, took no more chakra than any other Jyuuken strike. Unfortunately, she had targeted the tenketsu in Neji's ankle not because it was the easiest target, but because she was not confident she could seal anything smaller with her current level of skill.

Hinata herself had not believed it was possible at all until Kakashi pointed out that, as she should well know, a human foot actually had _more _tenketsu than a hand did. If anything, he insisted, using her feet should ultimately be easier than using her hands.

The reason the Jyuuken style was and would always remain the exclusive domain of the Hyuuga clan was because the byakugan was the only known way of locating the tenketsu and judging the amount of chakra required to seal it. Tenketsu were located in roughly the same positions in every ninja, but the exact locations could vary by as much as an inch. When dealing with targets a quarter of an inch in size or smaller, the margin of error was too high for anyone to possibly use the style through guesswork alone.

Even if someone were to get lucky and accurately target the tenketsu, they would have no means of determining how much chakra to use in order to seal it. Too much and the chakra overflowed, mixing with the target's own chakra and eventually getting pulled out of the tenketsu entirely. Too little and the target's chakra would flow in, ultimately leading to the same result.

If the proper amount of chakra was used, however, the tenketsu itself formed a natural barrier that resisted the movement of chakra while it was full. That behavior was vital to the use of jutsu, but it also formed the basis of the Jyuuken as the target could not easily expel the foreign chakra when their own was not in contact with it. It was possible to do so – the Hyuuga clan was aware of three such methods, as well as two known methods of negating the Jyuuken entirely – but most ninja were not aware of them and they were nearly impossible to use in the heat of battle anyway.

Hinata's greatest challenge had been timing the pulse of chakra that filled the target's tenketsu when using her feet. She had spent years practicing and honing the Jyuuken style until the subtle adjustments and precise timing required to completely fill the opponent's tenketsu with her own chakra was instinctive... when using her hands.

Once she had the timing down – which differed significantly from using her hands for reasons she didn't fully understand – she found that in one respect Kakashi's theory had been right; the subtle manipulations of chakra actually were easier to perform with her feet due to the presence of the additional tenketsu. The use was different, but the rapid alteration and adjustment of chakra emitted from the foot was very similar to the concepts behind tree- and water-walking.

Hinata smiled, a slightly predatory grin adorning her face that she had unknowingly acquired from Naruto. "I told you I had learned much," she said, and launched herself forward to resume the battle.

* * *

-Pit-

"I hate you," Ino started as she dodged yet another handful of kunai Tenten had flung in her direction.

"So much," she continued, throwing herself off of a spire moments before the exploding tag wrapped around the handle of a kunai detonated and caused the top of the spire to break off and plummet into the depths of the pit.

"Right now," she finished, panting slightly as she came to a stop on the opposite side of the pit, glaring at Tenten.

Tenten just cackled, sounding slightly deranged as she pulled another set of her seemingly infinite supply of kunai out of her pouch. "Do you know how much time I spent worrying about that lightning jutsu of yours?" she asked rhetorically. "I had to change up my entire battle style just to avoid giving you kunai to use against me, and then we end up facing each other _here _of all places. All that time, wasted!"

"That is so _not _my fault!" Ino snapped back. She was a little bemused that Tenten had been that worried about her lightning technique. It was useful, true, but only because there had been so few kunai scattered around at the time, all of them strategically placed for that exact purpose. The more points there were for the lightning to jump to, the harder the technique was to control. Making sure there were no kunai near her when she used the technique was also a major factor, since the jutsu could just as easily turn back on her if she wasn't careful. She wouldn't take as much damage from it as her opponent might, but it would still be a setback best avoided.

"Don't care!" Tenten replied just as quickly. "Now shut up and take it like a kunoichi!" she yelled, leaping forward and flinging more kunai towards Ino.

"Fuck this," Ino muttered to herself as she dodged. Rather than leaping to another spire, however, she headed straight down into the hidden depths of the pit.

"Oh no you don't," Tenten yelled, snapping more kunai towards Ino in an attempt to force her back towards the tops of the spires, where she had a clearer aim.

Ino backflipped off the spire and let herself drop through the air, vanishing into the darkness. She heard Tenten trying to follow her, but she was already slipping away, letting stealth accomplish her retreat where speed had failed.

She had wondered what was at the bottom of the pit the entire first round, but neither Temari nor the Oto-nin had moved more than ten feet from the top of the spires. It turned out that – as she had guessed – the spires continued to widen until they met at the bottom of the pit, which was nearly one hundred meters from the top.

The footing was awkward, as there was no even surface anywhere. The spires all met in steep "V"s at the bottom, and Ino found herself hopping quietly from one slope to the next rather than attempting to straddle the areas where the spires met. She would likely have slipped and broken an ankle by now if she hadn't employed the Owl-Sight jutsu the moment she vanished into the darkness. That jutsu, at least, was one that she could do without words or handseals. Kakashi had drilled all of them relentlessly until they could do so, and she was glad for it now.

Tenten had broken off her pursuit and returned to the open area above, though Ino couldn't make out anything further than that. She wasn't about to just charge out there now, especially since it would take her a moment to make the adjustment from darkness to light.

Ino didn't have to wonder what Tenten was up to for much longer, as she heard a not-so-distant clang of metal on stone, followed by an explosion. She realized what Tenten was doing immediately; that crazy bitch was dropping explosive kunai into the depths in an attempt to flush her out. She knew enough about exploding notes – hard not to learn about them when Naruto spent his spare time making them – to determine that these were relatively low-powered examples, but a direct hit could still do some serious damage – possibly even fatal damage.

Ino smiled in the darkness. She could use that.

* * *

-Stands-

Kurenai stared at the screen.

It was difficult to believe that _genin _were performing the feats she had just witnessed. Naruto and Lee were both moving at frankly absurd speeds for their age, and most of the civilians in the crowd were unable to keep up at all. Taijutsu was not her strong-suit, but she never thought she would meet a twelve year old who could possibly give her trouble in a hand-to-hand fight.

Then there was the fight between Neji and Hinata. She knew enough about the Hyuuga to know that the move Neji had pulled off was a big deal, but she couldn't figure out why _Neji _looked more stunned than Hinata did. She glanced briefly towards where Hiashi Hyuuga was sitting, but from this distance his expression looked as calm and stoic as ever.

The battle between Tenten and Ino was more along the lines of what she'd expected from genin, except for the fact that Tenten apparently had a storage seal on the inside of her pouch and could throw four kunai at a time with more speed and accuracy than most genin could throw _one_. Even with the distance between them, she was impressed than Ino had managed to dodge all of them. Her spatial awareness and midair acrobatics weren't as flashy as what some of the other genin were doing, but they spoke well of her skill all the same.

She turned to look at her students to see how they were taking this display, only to find that none of them seemed particularly shocked.

"You think Lee is going to kick Naruto's butt this time?" Sakura asked idly as she watched the screen.

"Naruto finally pulled out his ninjutsu, which is the only thing that let him win last time," Sasuke muttered, not taking his eyes off of the images before them. His gaze was rapidly shifting between all three battles as he attempted to take in everything at once.

"Despite that, Lee-san seems quite confident. I believe he has a plan to deal with Naruto-san's arsenal of techniques," Shino commented quietly.

"You aren't surprised by this?" Kurenai asked.

Her genin spared her a glance before they turned back to the battles. "Oh, you never did make it to one of the Clan Kid training sessions, did you? Not that we had that many after we graduated," Sakura said.

Shino spoke up next. "Lee-san and Naruto-san have faced off once before, and Lee proved then that he could defeat Naruto-san in a taijutsu battle. Naruto-san was forced to rely on his ninjutsu then as he did just now, and ultimately managed to defeat Lee at the time. I believe we are about to witness Lee's response to that defeat."

* * *

-Open Field-

Kuushou watched as Lee began to spin in place with his arms pulled tight against his body. Shaking off his surprise at the odd maneuver, Kuushou prepared to launch a barrage of earth jutsu against the genin, planning to corral and eventually trap the taijutsu expert without having to engage him directly.

He abandoned that plan along with his position when a projectile of some sort emerged from the whirling blur that was Lee, the object whistling as it shot through the air towards him. He rolled to the side, narrowly dodging it, and prepared to counter Lee's next move.

The sound of an enormous hammer striking a massive gong assaulted his ears; he could actually feel the vibrations traveling through his body as something happened behind him. He didn't have time to see what it was, however, because three more objects were hurtling towards him. He pumped chakra into his limbs, consciously reinforcing his body for the first time during the battle as he blurred away from the projectiles.

He saw it happen this time. The objects struck the barrier separating the different sections of the arena one after another, the sound assaulting his ears each time. The barrier flared brighter and brighter after each hit, and after the fourth he could actually see cracks forming. Without any further punishment, however, the cracks slowly began sealing themselves once again.

His examination of the objects and the barrier was interrupted when something slammed into his body, throwing him up into the air. The impact was repeated rapidly, tossing him back and forth in the air like a ragdoll even as he struggled to respond to the sudden assault. He began pushing more and more chakra into his body – even some pure youki to aid in healing as the damage reached dangerous levels – and eventually he could make out his attacker.

Lee was moving much, much faster than he had been before and was currently keeping him suspended in the air with nothing more than the force of his blows. Kuushou growled lowly in his throat; time to put a stop to that.

Not bothering to even pretend to use handseals this time, he used another Wind Style: Burst to force Lee away. It didn't catch his opponent – Lee kicked him away the moment the air around him shimmered – but it gave Kuushou enough time to recover. Lee was circling him on the ground, face alight with eagerness as he waited for the technique to die down enough that he could return to melee range.

Kuushou thrust his hands below him, using an intentionally flawed Wind Style: Gust to push himself upwards. The jutsu, when used properly, did not impart any momentum to the user; the incomplete stages did, however, and he took advantage of that now to force himself high enough to reach the "ceiling" created by the barrier. He flipped in midair, landing upside down in a crouch.

His feet didn't want to stick; his chakra slid off of the barrier rather than anchoring him as he had intended. With a snarl he shot out spikes of chakra from his feet, forcing them to dig into the barrier. A high-pitched whine filled the air and the barrier shuddered under his feet, but he was now firmly attached.

He turned his attention back to Lee, who was already trying and failing to run up the barrier as if it were a simple tree. The other genin looked frustrated for a moment, before he suddenly grinned and darted towards the corner of the field where the two walls of the barrier met.

Kuushou watched and waited as Lee bounced between the two walls, using his strength and speed where his chakra control had failed him. With one last push, Lee launched himself into the air, closing with Kuushou at blistering speeds and ready to attack hand-to-hand once again.

Kuushou jumped, using all of the considerable power in his legs to launch himself straight towards the ground. He landed feet first moments later, the impact cracking the dry earth beneath him and kicking up a small amount of dust.

He turned his attention back to Lee, who was still in midair and just beginning his descent after passing through the space Kuushou had previously occupied.

Kuushou smirked viciously. Time to see how _he_ liked being juggled in midair.

* * *

-Stands-

Kurenai glanced once again at her students. Sasuke and Sakura were gaping silently at the screen as they watched the battle between Naruto and Lee escalate. Shino gave no outward sign of his agitation, but Kurenai could hear the low buzzing of his kikaichuu.

Kurenai had forced herself to stop thinking of the two combatants as genin; in terms of pure speed Lee was already AA-class at least, and Naruto was somehow managing to stay in the fight despite the series of devastating blows he had taken.

And the sound when Lee had thrown... whatever it was at Naruto... she'd never seen or heard anything hit a barrier that hard. The gong-like rumble had washed over the stadium and rendered the crowd momentarily silent, before they had returned to cheering with renewed enthusiasm. She wasn't sure most of them could even follow what was going on visually, much less understand the significance, but they seemed to be eating it up nonetheless.

She turned her attention to the other fights for a moment, noting that Neji and Hinata were once more engaged in a Jyuuken battle, though Neji seemed to be struggling for some reason. He had used the Kaiten twice more that she had seen, thought she _still _couldn't figure out why, as he had yet to truly catch Hinata with it. His chakra expenditure was beginning to show, and as things stood Hinata would be winning that match.

Tenten seemed to be in control of the battle between herself and Ino. She currently had possession of the black box that served at the nominal goal for the Exams, and she was still flinging kunai into the depths of the pit where they exploded in small flashes. The image coming from Ino was pitch-black, as it had been for a few minutes now. Hayate had not called the battle in Tenten's favor, however, so clearly he believed Ino was still in the fight.

* * *

-Open Field-

Kuushou barely remembered to continue faking handseals as he began his barrage of jutsu. The earth around his feet rumbled for a moment before several boulders the size of his torso were torn from the ground and launched at Lee, who was still falling in midair.

"Earth Style: Rock Bombardment," Kuushou intoned. With the rocks winging their way towards Lee, who was watching them approach with widened eyes, Kuushou immediately began the handseals for his next jutsu.

"Water Style: Levy Break," he called out, and water began seeping through the ground at his feet, the effect quickly spreading until a large portion of the middle of the field where he stood was wet and muddy.

He began the handseals for a third jutsu, but was interrupted by the sound of rock shattering above him. Turning his attention back to Lee, he saw a haze of dust and debris hanging in midair, and no sign of the green-clad genin. A light splash alerted him that Lee had somehow reached the ground, and then he was straining to dodge a rapid series of attacks once more.

"A most youthful attempt, Naruto-kun," Lee cried happily even as his fists and feet ripped through the air, narrowly missing his blonde opponent, "but I shall not give you time to try again!"

Kuushou didn't bother to reply, instead splitting his attention between dodging Lee's strikes and performing his next jutsu. He took a few hits – Lee had continued to increase his strength, it seemed, since each blow was cracking bones at this point – but he found the opening he needed. His hands flashed through an abbreviated series of signs and he announced his next move.

"Earth Style: Muddy Embrace!"

All around the clashing genin earthen hands rose up from the ground, grasping at Kuushou's opponent wildly. Lee began to split his efforts between destroying the grasping hands and continuing his assault. The grasping appendages were easily destroyed in a single blow. In a matter of seconds Lee had taken care of all of them.

Kuushou just watched impassively as Lee turned to him, the boy almost completely covered in mud. "My flames will not be dimmed by such methods, Naruto-kun!" Lee announced, preparing to close the distance once again.

"Earth Style: Harden."

The look of shock on Lee's face was incredibly amusing to Kuushou as the mud covering Lee's body suddenly gained the strength of solid steel. Harden was a basic technique, considered by many to be useful when first learning to use earth-natured jutsu but essentially worthless beyond that. Most ninja could make loose dirt as strong as rock, but the tougher the starting material the harder it was to increase its durability. The chakra requirements to make something stronger than solid stone were prohibitive for anyone not strongly earth-aligned, and expensive even for them.

His opponent, finding his movement completely restricted in mid-stride, teetered for a moment before toppling over on his side. Lee's eyes narrowed as he glared.

"I do believe that's my second win against you," Kuushou said, feeling a little disappointed. Once he had turned to using ninjutsu, the fight had not lasted long at all. Lee had done some physical damage, true, but even that was already healed. Ultimately, his opponent had been more of an inconvenience than a challenge, even if Lee did win the taijutsu portion of the battle. "You've certainly improved, but you'll have to do better than that to defeat me."

"Gate of Opening: Release!" came Lee's muffled voice.

The hardened mud encasing Lee began to crack and fall away and with one last explosive effort it shattered entirely. Lee slowly stood up, brushing the remaining bits of debris off of his clothing, then glared. His expression more serious and determined than Kuushou had ever seen it.

"I will not lose to you again, Naruto-kun," Lee said solemnly, even as wisps of blue chakra curled off of his form. "You are a good friend, but right now you are my opponent. I will come at you with all of my power, and prove once and for all that hard work can defeat a genius."

Lee dropped into a stance with his arms crossed in front of his face.

"Gate of Healing: Release! Gate of Life: Release!"

* * *

**A/N: **

**The Jyuuken bit is my personal theory on how that aspect of the style works. The wiki claims that "the user's chakra can either increase chakra flow in the opponent's body, or disrupt it completely, preventing them from using techniques." I can't recall ever seeing the Jyuuken used for anything other than inflicting physical damage or sealing off someone's chakra network, certainly never **_**increasing **_**chakra flow. The only way I can think of that to work is if the Jyuuken user forced open someone's gates. Hmm... interesting thought.**

**I explained in-story how I think the "sealing" part works and why it's so hard to do. For the physical damage part, that too has to be something beyond just shoving chakra into someone's body, otherwise anyone could do it.**

**So, in this AU at least, just shoving chakra into someone else's body does basically nothing. Whatever you put in them is quickly overwhelmed or even absorbed by the target, potentially strengthening them. In order to cause physical damage, you have to push your chakra into someone's chakra network through their tenketsu (hence required the byakugan) then cause your chakra to "explode", thus destroying the network in that area and causing actual physical damage.**

**The chakra required to do that is orders of magnitude higher than the amount required to seal tenketsu, otherwise you'd have a **_**lot **_**of accidental deaths or injuries in Jyuuken training. You also have to figure that the chakra network is at least somewhat elastic, since you can focus smaller or larger amounts of chakra in one particular area.**

**The "chakra scalpel" works on a similar principle, although it focuses on sharpness and cutting rather than pure damage. It still requires extreme control and a relatively large amount of chakra, along with extensive knowledge of the human body.**

**Next week's chapter will conclude the Team Gai v. Team Kakashi fight.**

**As always, thanks for reading and many, many thanks for all the reviews!  
**

**Revised: 02-04-2012 - typo - Thanks to "Yourockman" for pointing it out!  
**


	36. Tricks Of The Trade, Part II

-Open Field-

Kuushou's eyes widened as he felt Lee's chakra skyrocket. The genin had always had more chakra than most of his peers - even if he was not able to use it for much - but what he felt now was several times that.

Lee lowered his crossed arms, revealing that his face - all of his skin, actually - had turned a dark red. His eyes had also turned completely white. It was a surprisingly fierce look for the normally friendly ninja.

Then he vanished.

Only his ability to sense chakra allowed him to track Lee's movements; his eyes, even enhanced as they were, couldn't keep up with the speed Lee now possessed. Knowing where Lee was and how fast he was actually moving didn't help much, however, as his body couldn't react to Lee's attacks any more than his eyes could follow them.

A kick slammed into his jaw and lifted his body several feet off the ground. He could feel his jaw fracturing under the force of the blow and the muscles in his neck straining uncomfortably. Kuushou pushed even more chakra into his body, but he hit his self-imposed limit moments later; if he continued, the amount of youki present in the body would begin triggering overt physical changes.

Lee had apparently learned his lesson from earlier in the battle, as rather than a strike that launched him even further into the air Kuushou felt another hammer blow slam him into the ground. He felt more bones cracking and fracturing, and he coughed up blood as his body spasmed.

Lee paused momentarily, seemingly appearing out of thin air roughly ten feet away.

"Do you concede, Naruto-kun?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Kuushou didn't respond immediately, taking full advantage of the delay to heal the wounds he had just taken. He also diverted all the chakra present in his body into enhancing his durability and resistance to damage; he couldn't strengthen his muscles enough to keep up with Lee anyway, so it was wasted chakra at this point. His skin darkened ever so slightly as he did so, barely enough to be noticeable; Lee did not seem to catch the change.

Pushing himself to his feet slowly, playing to Lee's concern as he feigned pain and difficulty moving, Kuushou also studied Lee. Even in the few seconds since he first activated the technique, the veritable geyser of chakra triggered by opening the Inner Gates had lessened noticeably. A quick estimation told him that Lee could maintain this state for a few minutes at most.

Kuushou allowed a small chuckle to slip out as he settled into a defensive stance. Despite all he had accomplished since he had been sealed into his current container, it seemed that his greatest weapon remained patience.

And as for giving up?

"Never."

* * *

-Pit-

Tenten forced herself to remain alert as she circled the battlefield, her eyes sharp and watchful and a brace of kunai clutched in one hand. She had taken the time to secure the box to her back with some ninja wire; it left her other hand free and made it that much harder for Ino to take it from her.

Not that there seemed to be any danger of that. Aside from a single kunai at the very beginning of the fight, Ino had not made any attacks against her. Tenten had kept her far too busy dodging kunai and explosions for her to even consider counter-attacking. She had expected something when the blonde girl vanished into the depths of the pits, but so far nothing had happened.

Tenten allowed herself a moment to wonder if the kunoichi in this year's graduating class were that much weaker than her own. She herself had fought tooth and nail to secure her standing as Kunoichi of the Year, and it had been a close thing up to the very end. She had also proven herself again and again as a vital member of Team Gai, as she was the only one equally comfortable at both close- and long-range combat. She couldn't defeat Neji or Lee in taijutsu, but when she was allowed to use weapons her record was much better. If she was allowed time to prepare the battlefield or had a lot of room to maneuver, her record improved even further.

Even taking her own considerable skill into account, her fight against Sakura had still been... disappointing. She had taken her opponent seriously from the start, especially since she knew one of the few short-comings of her own training on Team Gai was a lack of emphasis on genjutsu and ninjutsu. One glance at Sakura had told her that the girl was _not _a taijutsu specialist, but she also knew better than to underestimate any of the Clan Kids. It had also been a gesture of respect, from one civilian-born kunoichi to another.

She hid it well at the time, but the ease with which she took Sakura down left a sour taste in her mouth.

And now Ino, a fellow Kunoichi of the Year, seemed to be just as weak and ineffective as Sakura had been. Hell, _weaker_; Sakura at least had landed that genjutsu, even if she hadn't followed up in the end. The one good thing she would say for her current opponent was that her stealth was impressive; the moment she had slipped into the darkness at the bottom of the pit Tenten had completely lost track of her. One good skill did not make for an effective kunoichi, however.

Was she really that much stronger than her peers?

She shook off her musings as a flicker of motion emerged from the depth of the pit. Ino, a kunai clenched in each hand and a mask of determination on her face, was charging up the side of a spire straight towards Tenten's current position. Sighing, Tenten raised her hand to throw a brace of kunai towards her opponent when another Ino emerged, again with two kunai and a look of determination.

Then another.

And another.

A small smile found its was onto Tenten's lips as she began launching kunai through the air, her hands moving with incredible speed and efficiency – perhaps her fellow kunoichi wasn't entirely hopeless after all.

The first three kunai passed completely through their targets, revealing those to have been mere bunshin. The illusory clones blurred and faded, their structure disrupted by the passage of the weapons. The fourth kunai struck its target in the shoulder and stayed, but Ino didn't slow down or even seem to notice the blade sticking out of her. The lack of blood revealed it to be another clone, almost certainly an earth clone.

Tenten didn't have a good read on Ino's chakra reserves, but she was fairly certain Ino was lightning-aligned. Using off-alignment clones was going to eat through her reserves quickly, so Tenten estimated that there were going to be two or three solid clones at most mixed in with the standard bunshin. That would be enough to seriously threaten her without going overboard and wasting chakra. Given that, her opponent's plan was likely to harass her with the solid clones while the real Ino tried to find an opening for a sneak attack of some kind; a ninjutsu, probably ranged.

With that in mind, Tenten began flinging kunai with abandon, her hands blurring as they whipped through the air then dipped back into the pouches at her side. With unerring accuracy each image of Ino that entered her sight was struck with a single kunai, almost all of them dispelling as they were revealed to be basic clones. She also began moving from spire to spire to avoid the earth clones that got too close for comfort.

After a minute, no more bunshin were emerging from the depths and she had whittled the field down to three earth clones, all of which were methodically closing in on her. They weren't just charging blindly forward, however; they had spread out to cut off possible avenues of retreat and were currently trying to corner her.

Trying, of course, since Tenten was already faster than Ino naturally, and the earth clones were not nearly as agile as the girl herself. Still, Tenten wasn't going to play tag for the rest of the battle; she would eliminate the threats before her then focus on tracking down the real Ino.

Tenten pulled out a scroll, nicked her thumb on a kunai, and swiped the blood across the storage seal. A small burst of smoke later and Tenten held a weapon in her hand. It was a _jian_, a double-edged straight sword precisely seventy-six centimeters in length and weighing one thousand seventeen grams. Her hand flexed around the worn leather grip once. This sword had been with her for years, passed down in her family for six generations now. She was familiar with many weapons and was best known for her skill with ranged attacks, but this sword would always be her favorite.

Tenten flicked her wrist once, listening to the familiar sound of the blade slicing through the air, then charged directly at the closest clone.

The clone hesitated slightly, apparently taken off guard by the sudden change in tactics, and raised its arm in an attempt to grab the sword. Tenten just smirked, not even bothering to grip the sword with both hands. The ancient blade, honed by years of careful care and sharpened by some of the best craftsmen in the Elemental Nations, sliced through the stone that made up the clone easily.

The clone, now missing half of its hand and a good chunk of its arm, changed tactics and continued its assault, now moving forward and trying to tackle Tenten.

Tenten dodged easily, another swipe of her blade lopping off the clone's leg, and turned her attention to the other two clones who were closing in. The clones kept their kunai at the ready rather than making an attempt to simply grab Tenten directly.

Out of the corner of her eye Tenten could see the downed earth clone clinging to the side of a spire while simultaneously punching at the rock; it took her a moment to realize that the clone was pulling material from the spire in an effort to rebuild its missing limb. Clearly Ino was a little better at earth clones than she had thought; most clones would have dispelled entirely after taking that much damage. On the other hand, earth clones _were _the most durable type, so it wasn't that surprising.

It did mean she couldn't waste too much time, or she would find herself having to fight the same clones over and over. The real Ino still had not emerged from the depths, either, so Tenten was no closer to a definitive end to the fight than she had been before.

Tenten charged at the two standing clones, her _jian _slicing through the air as she began to chip away at them. They were more careful about blocking than the first, and didn't let her have clean shots at their limbs, but they were still slowly losing mass.

Seeing the third clone back on its feet, Tenten became more aggressive, putting her superior speed to good use as she circled the clones, aiming exclusively for their legs now. She scored a solid hit on one, but failed to cut completely through the leg and could already see the earth meshing back together.

Then the third clone rejoined the fight. They were coordinating very well with one another, and she had to defend from their strikes for the first time since she closed to melee range. She contemplated breaking away from the clones, but she was still mostly in control of the battle and so remained to try and take the clones out permanently. Spotting an opening, she managed to lop off the arm of one clone at the elbow and a return strike removed the kunai-wielding hand of another.

Then one of the clones, in a surprising but oddly effective move, threw itself onto her blade. Feeling the sword twist in her hand as it became encased in solid rock, she cursed and gripped it with both hands. Mindful of the clones behind her, rather than attempting to simply pull the blade out she wrenched it to the side, putting her muscles to good use as the sharp blade began to slice through the solid rock from a dead stop.

The maneuver worked, and the sword came free with a jerk that spun her slightly around. Moving with the momentum, she continued the spin and felt the sword slice through something that had been closing in from behind.

Then something hot and wet splashed on her face, and she froze.

Her eyes widened as she saw Ino – the _real _Ino – standing before her, the girl's eyes widening in disbelief as her remaining hand clutched at her bleeding throat.

Tenten could feel her own mind screaming in denial.

With clinical detachment Tenten's mind began recording the scene before her, burning it with horrifying clarity into her memory. One of Ino's arms had been sliced off cleanly by the brutally sharp blade, the stump spilling blood at a horrifying rate. The tip of the blade had laid part of her shoulder open as it continued its deadly path, and Tenten noted that a bit of bone was visible within the wound. The arc continued its slightly angled path, entering Ino's throat just above the shoulder and exiting just below the jawline, cleanly severing her windpipe, jugular vein, and carotid artery.

Her mind continued to scream that it wasn't real, that it couldn't be real.

A bit of blonde hair, part of the girl's long ponytail, fluttered in the wind as it descended into the depths of the pit. Ino's eyes, her bright and vivid blue eyes, were already fading as the life left them. Tenten noted two small tears forming at the corners of Ino's eyes, the last tears the girl would ever shed. She slowly began to fall forwards, gravity pulling her off the side of the spire and into the depths of the pit.

Tenten's mind screamed louder, and this time it penetrated the horrified haze that had filled her brain. She was standing below Ino, and she had just cut open the girl's throat – she should have been drenched in blood. Instead she only felt that small bit that had initially splashed on her face. Also, her sword had been traveling perfectly horizontally relative to her body, not diagonally. The height difference also meant that she should have cut through at mid-torso level, not throat level.

Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening, but by then it was too late.

* * *

-Stands-

"Tenten Higurashi has been disabled," Hayate announced. "Ino Yamanaka may now enter another section of the arena."

"That was most unyouthful," Gai observed, a slightly disturbed expression on his face. "One should not deceive comrades in such a manner."

"Ino isn't the one waving around the Higurashi _Jian_," Kakashi replied mildly. "If Ino had been foolish enough to actually try to close to melee range after trapping the sword, that could have all too easily been real."

Gai frowned, but made no reply.

With the benefit of being able to observe both genin's viewpoints, the crowd – those who had been paying attention to that particular battle, at least – had known that Ino herself had not been struck by Tenten's blade. There had still been a few screams of horror at the image shown from Tenten's seal despite that.

Kakashi smiled then, turning to face Gai fully.

"I believe that's one of my genin with a win locked in," he mused. "And Neji isn't looking so hot at the moment."

"Ah, but Lee-kun is winning his match with Naruto-kun handily. Truly, a most impressive display of the flames of youth! Neji-kun is adapting to Hinata's youthful innovation admirably as well, and he has not revealed the full extent of his abilities either."

"Ah... the Eight Trigrams, eh?" Kakashi said, not sounding at all disturbed. "I don't see him getting a chance to use that particular move. That aside, Lee may be winning, but Naruto isn't exactly losing. With Ino's win, I'd say the odds are about to shift in my favor."

* * *

-Stands-

"Ino has spent entirely too much time around Naruto," Sakura observed, her face pale and her voice strained. "That was far too detailed and... realistic," she added with a small shiver.

Seeing her best friend like that, with the blood and the exposed flesh and the bits of _bone – _she shivered again. She'd be having nightmares about that, she was sure.

Still, the more professional, objective part of her mind couldn't help but applaud Ino's skilled use of the basic bunshin. Sadly, far too many ninja didn't even consider that the bunshin could look like something other than an exact replica of its creator; that was merely the simplest version to use, and the only one required by the Academy.

The real touch had been the liquid she had apparently buried deep within one of the clones. Sakura wasn't sure how she had stored it in the clone or gotten it to release at the right time, but judging by the small bandage on Ino's arm that had been real blood, which likely made the situation that much more realistic for Tenten.

* * *

-Forest-

Neji and Hinata both paused when the barrier separating them from the pit section of the arena faded out of view. The sudden removal of the wall blocking their sight was disorienting, but it was the meaning behind the absence of the wall that gave them pause.

Their battle had continued for some time with only small shifts in the advantage to one or the other. The overall flow of their contest had begun to tilt in Hinata's favor, but it was still close enough that Neji could easily triumph should an opening present itself. However, with the addition of a third person to the fight, the end would likely come soon.

Neji's eyes widened slightly when he noticed Ino hopping out of the pit and onto the solid ground of the forest; he had not expected Tenten to be defeated. This also meant that he would be in a great deal of trouble very soon as Ino coordinated her attacks with Hinata. His cousin was surprisingly difficult to handle already; it was unlikely he would last very long against the both of them.

Acting quickly, he broke away from his match with Hinata, pushing his legs as hard as he could as he darted through the forest, bouncing from tree to tree. His sudden, decisive movement had taken his cousin off guard, giving him precious moments to move out of her range. His running speed was also greater than Hinata's; Team Gai as a whole was in superior physical condition thanks to their intense training regimen.

He heard Hinata shouting, warning Ino of his approach, but he was already darting out of the trees and closing with her, his hands poised to disable his new opponent. If he could take her out before Hinata caught up with him, he could even the odds once more and possibly salvage the battle.

Ino's eyes widened in shock as he came blazing out of the forest, her arms raising instinctively in a defensive gesture. She was well-trained, he noted, as her hastily adopted stance was solid. Compared to Lee, however, her stance might as well have left her wide open.

His hands shot forward, first two fingers extended, as he began methodically closing Ino's tenketsu. He didn't have time to whittle down her defenses as he normally preferred, so he bypassed her arms and struck directly at her torso.

Left shoulder. Left collarbone. Right collarbone. Left lung. Right lung.

Five strikes, and Ino's ability to use ninjutsu was severely lessened; it was still technically possible for her to use jutsu as there were three distinct paths for chakra in each arm, but with half of them shut down it would be very difficult to compensate. Her left arm began to drop as well, her motor control disrupted for the moment along with her chakra network.

Left upper lateral. Right upper lateral. Left lower lateral.

Taking advantage of the opening, he focused the majority of his efforts along her left side, attempting to completely shut down the chakra network there. If he could get her leg as well, that would be sufficient to remove her from the battle entirely.

Hinata was closing in quickly, less than twenty feet away now. He still had time to complete his goal, however.

Left stomach. Mid-stomach. Left –

Ino's right arm latched onto his left, gripping tightly and pulling him closer to her. Cursing mentally at allowing his attention to lapse from the immediate threat, he struck out with his free arm.

Right shoulder. Right –

Even as Ino's grip slackened and her hand fell free, Hinata was upon him, her hands moving as quickly as his own. Unfortunately for him, Ino's last ditch effort meant that he was still facing away from Hinata, and she had a clean shot at his unprotected back. He began to flare his chakra, attempting to utilize the Kaiten once more – probably for the last time, as his reserves were running low at this point – but Hinata did not back away as she had before.

He felt the series of jabs signaling his defeat begin with his core tenketsu; Hinata's touch was gentle and swift as she worked her way outward in a spiral. His Kaiten died before it truly formed as the chakra required to sustain it was cut off.

He collapsed to the ground, limp; the familiar numbness caused by Jyuuken strikes washing over his body. His byakugan faded along with his chakra, leaving him staring into the dirt beneath him.

"Well done, Hinata-sama," he panted.

"Thank you, Neji-nii-san," she replied, her voice soft.

"Kick ass job and all, but could you fix me? We haven't exactly won yet," Ino's voice interrupted.

Hinata did not reply verbally, but he could hear her steps moving closer.

"Ah, much better," Ino said after a few seconds, and he could hear her picking herself up off the ground. "Gah, and now the tingling sets in."

Neji felt his eyelids growing heavy, and did not fight the sensation. He had used a great deal of chakra warding off Hinata-sama's surprising variation of the Jyuuken with repeated Kaitens, and with his own network now sealed, he was feeling the beginnings of chakra exhaustion.

Just before he lost consciousness, he wondered how Lee was managing in his own battle.

* * *

-Open Field-

Kuushou had disconnected himself from the body's nervous system after ten seconds. What he felt wasn't the same as pain – nothing like what he had experienced vicariously through Ryuudo, certainly – but the sensation was highly unpleasant all the same.

He was also devoting most of his attention to healing the damage his body took. Despite the enhancements he had made to his body and the reinforcement from his chakra, every bone in his body had cracked at least once, and most several times. His ulna and radius in both arms, along with his tibia and fibula in both legs, had endured outright breaks several times as he attempted to block some of Lee's strikes.

The green-clad genin had also taken to kicking him into the barrier, and the walls that segregated the arena might as well have been fashioned from solid steel for all the give they had – one of those hits had fractured four vertebrae. He hadn't gotten a good look at himself since the onslaught began, but judging by the splotches of blood on Lee's jumpsuit he had also been bleeding on occasion as well.

He didn't let the true extent of his injuries show, of course. He was fairly certain even Lee didn't know just how much damage he was doing. Either that, or the boy had a very well hidden vicious streak in him; any other opponent would have died by this point. Then again, any other opponent would have been incapable of standing long before now, either because they lost consciousness or were injured severely enough to prevent movement.

Kuushou was actually surprised the announcer had not called the match in Lee's favor. He was still standing, true, but he was purely on the defensive; he hadn't even attempted a single counter-attack in the last three minutes. Then again, Lee had yet to take advantage of the few times he had been slow to stand back up to hold a kunai to his throat for a few seconds. Even if such a threat would not work against him in reality, it would be more than sufficient for the Chuunin Exams, since the gesture served as a common sign that one opponent had "killed" the other.

Instead, Lee seemed to be trying to literally beat him into submission. Apparently the boy wanted him to either lose consciousness or verbally admit defeat. There was also the possibility that the thought of using a kunai never even crossed his mind.

Lee launched him into the air again, and with another spinning kick to the side sent him rocketing towards the nearby barrier... which disappeared as he approached, revealing the forest section of the arena. Without the wall providing a hard stop, his momentum carried him deep into the forest. His back impacted against one of the trees instead, shattering the wood. He hung there a moment, suspended against the side of the tree, before sliding downward to land in a heap at the bottom.

His bones snapped into place with a dull crackle as his youki pulled them into position. Damage healed once more, he prepared himself to take yet more blows. It took him a moment to realize that Lee was not following up on his most recent attack.

Cocking his head slightly, he finally realized that he could sense his teammates along with Neji and Tenten. The fact that Ino and Hinata were standing together near the open field while Neji was lying at the edge of the forest and Tenten was at the bottom of the pit indicated that his teammates had won their respective fights.

Unfortunately, Lee's technique had not yet faded entirely. He had lost some steam, but he still had more than enough energy left to take out both Hinata and Ino before returning his attention to his original opponent. However, at the moment he was standing still, probably talking to Hinata and Ino.

Moving quickly, Kuushou slipped underground using the Earth Style: Mole Imitation technique and rapidly made his way towards Lee. If the genin would stand still for just a few seconds longer...

"You have defeated my teammates, it seems," Lee said solemnly. "A most youthful feat, but now it falls to me to carry onward. I will-"

He was interrupted as two hands burst out of the ground beneath him and pulled him downward abruptly. Kuushou popped out of the ground as quickly as Lee submerged, and he immediately slapped his hands onto the earth next to Lee. His opponent was almost completely underground at this point, only his head sticking out.

"Ino!" Kuushou snapped. "Take him out now!" His hands were glowing a light purple as he pumped obscene amounts of chakra into his Earth Style: Harden jutsu. He could actually feel the earth shuddering underneath him as Lee tried to wrench himself free.

Ino jumped slightly, startled by his sudden appearance, but quickly began blurring through handseals.

Lee's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. The earth trembled again as Lee's head whipped back and forth, but Kuushou's jutsu held.

"Gate of Pain: Rele-" Lee began, but Ino completed her jutsu before he could activate his next technique.

Lee's head lolled forward slightly before it snapped upright. "Holy shit!" he said. "Hinata! Seal his tenketsu, _right now!_"

Hinata leaped forward even as Kuushou pulled Lee out of the ground. He had been prepared to use a kunai to the throat to "kill" the genin, but trusted Ino's assessment that the situation wasn't as secure as he thought.

Hinata's hands blurred as she landed strike after strike. She might have aimed at the tenketsu in Lee's head – which could possibly have taken him out in one strike – but a single mistake in her aim or the amount of chakra she applied could seriously damage or even kill him instead of merely rendering him unconscious; she had been trained to aim above the neck only when she intended to kill her opponent.

"Losing him!" Lee shouted a second later, then his head sagged forward. Hinata tried to move faster, but Lee's leg shot forward, catching her in the stomach and flinging her backwards. He staggered after delivering the blow, moving without his normal grace or speed.

Kuushou could sense the chakra within Lee's body quickly fading back to normal levels, then even lower. The genin didn't seem to care, though, as he forced his body to settle into a stance once again.

"My flames of youth will not be dimmed!" he proclaimed, panting harshly. "Gate of Pain: Release!"

Kuushou tensed, but slowly relaxed when nothing happened.

Lee looked confused for a moment, then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

* * *

-Kage Box-

"Team Kakashi has won the match, and what a match it was!" Hayate announced. "Both teams made an absolutely incredible showing!"

The crowd roared its approval, the sound of their shouting and cheering shaking the stadium.

"Most impressive, Hokage-dono," the Kazekage said. "You must be quite proud."

"Oh, I am," the Hokage replied easily, chuckling. "It does this old man good to know that such promising ninja have inherited the Will of Fire."

"They also made quite an impression on the crowd," the Kazekage observed. "It will make my own genin look that much better when they win tomorrow," he added.

The Hokage smirked, turning to face the Kazekage fully. "I wouldn't count on that."

* * *

-Konoha-

Anko grumbled to herself as she continued her patrol while listening to the distant roar coming from the stadium. The noise level had been steadily increasing for the last ten minutes, and she just _knew _she was missing out on a great show. If she remembered correctly it was Team Gai against Team Kakashi, and both teams were considered to be among the strongest Konoha had seen in years. There was also no telling what Gai and Kakashi had managed to teach their kids.

Both of the jounin knew each other quite well, as they had been friends for decades and worked together often. No doubt their students were prepared to counter the other's specialties, which meant they'd have to get creative in order to win.

Anko cursed again and forced herself to think about something else – like the fact that she had found fuck all in the way of infiltrators. Her team hadn't even found normal criminals in her latest sweep.

She knew better than to think there no infiltrators to find, however; the Hokage clearly trusted his source of information. Her bastard of a teacher had also trained her to expect the worst and, despite her deep and utter loathing of the man and his actions, she acknowledged that he knew what he was talking about when it came to life as a ninja.

There were infiltrators, probably quite a few of them, and they were good enough to avoid patrols that were actively looking for them.

* * *

-Hokage's Office-

-8:00 PM-

"Still nothing?" Sarutobi asked wearily.

"Unfortunately, no, Hokage-sama."

"We'll need to increase the patrols sweeping the village tomorrow then. Who do we have available?"

"Troublesome...," Shikaku replied. "All available shinobi are already assigned, Hokage-sama, with the majority focused on security in and immediately around the stadium since the majority of the known targets will be gathered there. We've even drafted the jounin instructors and other ninja on long-term internal missions to provide additional coverage."

The Hokage sat back, puffing on his pipe thoughtfully. Slowly, a grim smile spread across his face. "We haven't pulled in everyone," he said. "I think it's time to see just how much use we can get out of our newest _ally_. Do we still have a team assigned to protect Naruto from the potential kidnapping attempt?"

Shikaku nodded, his mind working rapidly. "Yes, a full ANBU squad." He blinked, then sighed. "Troublesome..."

The Hokage pressed a small seal on his desk, and an ANBU entered the room a moment later.

"Please bring me Naruto Yamanaka."

"Pardon, Hokage-sama, but is he not sequestered until tomorrow's battle?"

"Do it discreetly," the Hokage replied simply. "This is more important than the Exam regulations."

"Of course, Hokage-sama," the ANBU quickly replied.

Once the ANBU had left, Sarutobi created a shadow clone then turned to Shikaku. "Are you going to participate this time?"

Shikaku nodded, creating a single clone of his own. "It will help to directly observe his attitude and responses," he remarked.

"Very well. We still have other matters to deal with, so let us put our time to good use."

The two ninja left, leaving their clones behind to handle the meeting with their newest and least trusted ally.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Jyuuken again: I don't know if that particular limitation (aiming at the head) is canon or not, but there _are_ some rather large tenketsu there. If you could knock someone out with a single strike to the head, that would be your default option and one that would invalidate a large part of the Jyuuken style. Hopefully the limitation makes sense, but I wanted to avoid having such an easy solution to every potential fight where a Hyuuga is involved; the Jyuuken is already damn strong as it is. As it stands you have to hold the opponent in place long enough for the Hyuuga to land a series of blows rather than just one. In the course of a normal fight where the opponent isn't restrained, a jyuuken strike to the head is no more dangerous than a kunai to the head.**

**The craziness kicks off next chapter which will lead up to the end of Part 2. **

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	37. Unwelcome Reunions

-August 1st, 347 NE-

-Hokage's Office-

-9:00 PM-

Shikaku watched as Naruto sat down in a chair across from the Hokage. As the three of them waited for the ANBU to leave the room so they could activate the privacy seals and begin their discussion, he tried to find some sign he might have missed that would have tipped him off as to Naruto's true identity, some mannerism that wasn't quite human. He couldn't find one; all he saw was Naruto, the boy who could hold his own against his son in shogi, the boy Inoichi was so proud of, the boy who was known as Konoha's "little hero"... the boy who apparently never existed at all.

"This must be rather important if you are willing to break Chuunin Exam protocol just to meet with me," Naruto said.

The Hokage leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands together in front of his mouth. Shikaku was sitting off to the side of the desk in another chair; he was currently leaning back lazily, but his gaze was sharp.

"I thought we all might benefit if we arranged a trial mission of sorts," Sarutobi said. "Something to get us used to the idea of working together with one another. Something to build trust, if you like."

Shikaku noted the change in the Hokage's tone. He had seen the two of them interact before they realized what Naruto really was, and this was markedly different. The Hokage's tone was colder, more guarded, and his posture was calculating.

"Given the timing, I assume this has something to do with tomorrow's battle?" Naruto asked drily.

"In a way. You were the one who informed us that Gaara was being targeted for assassination during the Chuunin Exams, but you may not be aware that we have uncovered several other plots all taking place within the same time frame."

Naruto raised one eyebrow, but didn't reply.

"One of those was a kidnapping plot, with yourself as the target."

Naruto chuckled lowly. "That would be... amusing."

Interesting. That response was far more dismissive than he would have expected of Naruto. It seemed the Bijuu was letting his true personality slip through a little bit more, or perhaps he didn't feel the need to maintain his act as thoroughly.

"I imagine from your perspective it would be," the Hokage admitted. "We received this information shortly after I uncovered your true identity. At the time we assigned a full ANBU squad to guard you for the duration of the exams as a precaution and to maintain your cover. However, we now have a pressing need for that squad elsewhere, and... well, I don't think you really need the protection, do you?"

Naruto grinned – a vicious, eager grin that seemed disturbingly suited to his face. It emphasized the marks on his cheeks and made his eyes seem even more animalistic. Shikaku had seen that expression on occasion, but it took on an entirely different connotation in this situation.

The grin faded as quickly as it came, leaving a bored expression in its wake. "If that was all, you wouldn't need to inform me personally – or at all, for that matter. So, what is this mission you have in mind?"

Shikaku decided to jump in at this point; he had a theory that he wanted to test and this was the perfect time.

"You were not the only target," he said lazily. "The plots seem to be focused on bloodlines, and we have several specific names...," he added. He studied Naruto's face intensely as he listed off the known targets.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Katsune Uchiha. Satomi Uchiha."

A hint of amusement.

"Hinata Hyuuga. Hanabi Hyuuga."

A tinge of annoyance.

"Ino Yamanaka."

Naruto's nostrils flared and his pupils dilated. His entire body stiffened subtly and his hands clenched slightly. The reaction was controlled swiftly as Naruto's entire body relaxed slightly before resuming its previous position a moment later – if he hadn't been watching for it he might have missed it entirely.

Well, there was some support for his theory, though it was hardly proof and raised more questions than it answered.

Shikaku noticed the Hokage's eyes darting towards his own, an obvious question in them. Shikaku shook his head slightly, telling the Hokage not to comment on the extra name in the list.

"With yourself included, they seem to be targeting every active genin with a bloodline that does not require an extensive support network to function properly. The Aburame, for instance, would be virtually impossible to recreate elsewhere. Other clans, such as the Kurama, are lower profile but are still considered at risk even though we don't have information suggesting they are being targeted specifically," Shikaku continued smoothly.

"And, with so many potential targets," the Hokage said, taking control of the explanation once more, "Konoha's available forces have been spread thin. You, on the other hand, have the power and skill to not only protect yourself but your teammates as well.

"Should the attempts actually happen, your mission is to escort your teammates, along with anyone else you come across that is at risk, to emergency shelter twelve located near the Shinobi District. Once you have done that, you are to patrol the surrounding area and dispatch any hostile elements you encounter. This mission will preempt any orders you may receive in the field unless they come from either myself or Shikaku."

Naruto cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "This is not a mission you would normally assign to a genin, or even a chuunin," he said after a moment.

"It is not," the Hokage agreed, "but you are far from a normal genin."

"Very true," Naruto said, that vicious smile on his face again, "but that was not my point. You are asking far more of me than usual; why should I accept this mission?"

"Do you not wish to protect your... investment?" Shikaku asked idly, carefully observing Naruto's expression. "You have spent a great deal of time bringing them closer to your own level of skill and power, after all. I'm sure you wouldn't want all that time and effort to go to waste."

There was no overt reaction this time.

"And you would let them be carted off to some other village should I not take this mission?" Naruto asked, his voice mocking. "I think not. This isn't about their protection, but guarding other people or locations in the village. As primary targets, they will be secured regardless."

"What did you have in mind in the way of compensation, then?" the Hokage asked mildly.

"The answer to my question," Naruto said.

The Hokage frowned. "Which question was that?"

"How were the Summons able to tell you what they did?"

Interesting... _very_ interesting. The Hokage had mentioned that the Bijuu had seemed rather curious about that point before, but to bring it up now, and as the price for his cooperation? There must be something important they were overlooking in that matter.

The Hokage leaned back in his chair, looking pensive. Shikaku himself didn't have a summoning contract, but he knew that the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama greatly valued their own relationships with the Summons; this couldn't be an easy decision for him to make.

"Only if you also reveal the information you have about this Akatsuki group that you claim first sealed your brethren," the Hokage countered after a minute of silent contemplation. "If they are once again active as you say, their goals would likely disrupt the balance in the Elemental Nations considerably."

"Very well," Naruto answered after a moment.

The Hokage sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. "The Toads informed Jiraiya of the existence of other realms when they made their offer to him to become a full member of the Toad tribe."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "A full... then that would mean...," he trailed off, then his face went completely blank. Shikaku startled slightly, recognizing an old mannerism of Naruto's that they had attributed to his imitation of ANBU ninja; it had gradually stopped happening after he was adopted into the Yamanaka household, something they had taken as a sign of progress. Seeing it now made him realize that the actual cause was entirely different than what they had thought.

His expression came back suddenly, morphing into a sadistic leer. Some small, irrational part of Shikaku had held out hope, if only for the sake of Inoichi and his family, that this entire situation was just a terrible misunderstanding, but seeing the malevolent contempt in the Bijuu's face shattered that hope to pieces – there was nothing left of Naruto in that expression.

"Oh, those clever little insects," the Bijuu said. "It seems we didn't give them enough credit," he chuckled darkly, but said nothing further.

Shikaku couldn't help but feel that the Hokage may have just made a mistake in revealing that information; that he had no idea what Kuushou had just figured out and the implications it may have worried him even further. The Hokage shared his misgivings, judging by the pained expression on his face. On the other hand, it was inevitable that Jiraiya-sama's situation would become known among the shinobi forces at some point and there was no way they could stop the Bijuu from learning of it then. The details of the situation would have come out regardless, so perhaps it was for the best that they got something useful out of Kuushou prior to that happened.

"And your information?"

"Akatsuki crafted the initial seals which held myself and my brethren, and began their attacks by targeting what they believed to be the weakest of us, the One Tail. They are either the source or perpetuated the idea that the Bijuu are ranked in power according to the number of tails, it seems. Their goal appears to have been to harness our power for themselves in an attempt to conquer the Elemental Nations.

"Their initial attempt sealed the One Tail into a ceremonial urn, apparently merely to get him out of the way while the dealt with the other Bijuu. The other Bijuu were sealed into people, first adults and later children. Judging by the information I have seen, they were refining their methods and experimenting with different approaches with each sealing.

"I am still unclear as to how Akatsuki did it, but they are also the source of the All Consuming Seal of the God of Death. Their former leader apparently went to great lengths in order to acquire that seal, but the details as to how are missing. Regardless, the information I have is incomplete and ends entirely a few days before they had planned to attack me. I think you know the rest of the story from there."

The Hokage nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Do you have information as to their current members or how they can be identified?"

"As for current members... no, but they do have a uniform of sorts: black cloaks with red clouds."

* * *

-August 2nd, 347 NE-

-Konoha Stadium-

-10:00 AM-

Orochimaru watched through Jirobo's eyes as the Konoha team prepared to fight the Suna team. Suna's jinchuuriki was facing off against the surprisingly powerful Yamanaka boy in the open field while the puppeteer faced the Hyuuga in the forest and the fan-user faced the Yamanaka girl in the open pit. The crowd, primed by yesterday's impressive match between the Konoha teams, were cheering more loudly than ever as the proctor announced the start of the match.

Orochimaru signaled to his subordinates and began slowly making his way out of the stadium. He noted that the team assigned to watch their movements was unusually attentive and began following their progress immediately, suspicious looks painted on their faces.

He also caught the second, much more skilled, team following at a more discreet distance. It seemed Konoha wasn't entirely complacent about the potential risk his team posed.

The Konoha ninja followed them all the way back to their assigned hotel, a mistake which sealed their fate. If they had confronted them near the stadium, perhaps his plan might have been delayed or inconvenienced, but the moment he entered his hotel room there was no chance of anyone stopping him.

The door closed behind them and the privacy seals flared to life. His subordinates pulled out three small metal rods from various packs; each rod was inscribed with an intricate series of designs and covered with several tags.

Orochimaru stepped into the middle of the room, pausing as he began seeking out the chakra battery teams scattered outside of Konoha. There were three total, one for each of the ninja he would be summoning. It took him nearly two minutes to locate them all and weave the chakra threads they were producing together with the thread already in place. Once he had though, he could feel the massive amounts of chakra pouring into Jirobo's body. The combined chakra of nearly a dozen ninja with solid A-rank reserves further boosted by chakra pills would normally be enough to last any ninja weeks with careful use – he expected to completely drain them within the hour.

He could have potentially brought more, but he didn't want to commit too many resources to the attack. Damaging Konoha, while tangentially beneficial to his goals, was not his true purpose. He needed to provide a distraction to allow his subordinates and the mercenaries the Eastern Dragon's had hired time to work, nothing more. He evaluated Kidomaru, Sakon, and Ukon's skill levels high enough that they should be able to accomplish their assigned tasks and leave Konoha in that time frame. The chakra teams should be at minimal risk, but even if they were lost it would not hinder him in any way; other than their reserves, they possessed no particular skills or knowledge worth keeping.

And, of course, there was absolutely no risk to himself at all.

Finally prepared, his hands blurred through a short string of handsigns and he intoned, "Summoning: Impure World Resurrection."

The bodies themselves had been prepared many weeks ago, and he had practiced controlling them numerous times in preparation for this day. Nonetheless, he had to perform the technique again each time he wanted to actually bring the bodies forth, and they constantly drained chakra until the technique was deactivated and the resurrected ninja dismissed. Maintaining Jirobo for so long had strained him, and that was without using any techniques at all. He had learned a great deal from the experience, however, and once he had time to review what he had learned he would likely be able to increase his efficiency with the Impure World Resurrection technique even further.

The tags began to lift off the ground as ashes formed out of thin air around them. The ash began to morph into bones, and then organs formed, followed by skin and then clothing. After a few seconds three more men stood in the room.

The first looked young, with long black hair hanging straight down his back and wearing red armor over black garb. The second wore blue armor in the same style as the first, with the addition of a fur collar and a face guard. His gray hair lent him an older appearance, though his face was every bit as young as that of the first man. The third man had spiky blond hair and wore a white cloak with stylized red flames along the bottom edge over a traditional Konoha jounin uniform.

"So that's him, huh," Kidomaru said, poking the blond man in the face. "He doesn't look like much, really."

The blond turned to face him. "Ah, to be so young and foolish," he said. "Enough talk. You know your jobs, get ready to do them."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

The blond turned suddenly, swinging his fist at the red-clad man. The blue-clad one intercepted his fist while the red-clad one attacked. The three men blurred into a quick exchange of blows, each seemingly attacking one of the others at random. After a few seconds each stopped and turned to face the outer wall of the hotel room.

"No problems," Jirobo said, still standing in the middle of the room. "And with that, we can begin."

The red-clad man raised his hands and flashed through a short string of handseals.

"Wood Release: Wild Growth!" he called out.

The wood that formed the walls began to twist and warp, rapidly expanding upwards and outwards. The surrounding walls shuddered and broke under the sudden strain, before they too began to grow. Under the cover of the sudden destruction, Kidomaru and Sakon slipped out to begin their own missions.

Jirobo dropped through the bottom of the floor, slipping underground without leaving a single sign of his passage. His body served as the anchor for the three resurrected men, and he would not be fighting directly for as long as Orochimaru could manage.

The blond man also disappeared, racing towards a certain neglected compound in the Shinobi Residential District. Unlike the other two, his most powerful technique required tools to work properly, tools which were not recreated along with his body. Orochimaru had also been unable to acquire working copies of his specially crafted kunai outside of Konoha, much to his dismay. He knew of several potential sources within Konoha however, and was prepared to check each and every one, starting with the man's former home.

The limits of the Impure World Resurrection technique also meant that he could not learn the secrets of the technique from the Fourth Hokage directly; the resurrected were pale shadows of themselves, more a collection of instincts and reflexes than actual copies of the deceased. They did not speak unless the summoner did so through them, nor could they communicate in any other fashion. Even ordering the Hokage to "prepare a Hiraishin kunai" produced nothing useful; the resurrected were meant for battle, nothing more.

Orochimaru knew that his plan was already guaranteed to damage Konoha greatly, but if he could reunite the Fourth Hokage with a working Hiraishin kunai...

* * *

-Konoha Stadium-

-10:15 AM-

The moment the Hokage felt the massive flare of chakra in the middle of Konoha, he signaled his ANBU and set his own response into motion. ANBU teams began escorting the Fire and Wind Lords to their assigned emergency shelters, while other ninja began securing the lesser nobles and wealthy patrons, leading them to other shelters.

The ninja scattered among the crowd moved rapidly to their assigned positions around the entrances and perimeter of the stadium, securing all the access points and making sure that no enemy ninja slipped into the stadium to attack the densely-packed civilians.

Other ninja moved to secure the potential targets of this attack. The Hokage and his advisers had decided early on that the targets would be kept together as much as possible. Hiashi Hyuuga had volunteered to be in charge of that group, as both of his daughters were among those at risk. Hanabi was already placed in emergency shelter twelve, accompanied by her mother and several Branch House ninja. Hiashi would be sweeping the stadium and village for any other potential targets and escorting them to emergency shelter twelve. The presence of the byakugan also meant that those within the shelter would have ample warning should enemy forces manage to locate them, which was why at least one Hyuuga was assigned to every emergency shelter in use.

Once all the high priority targets – other than those involved in the last round of the Chuunin Exams – were well on their way to their assigned shelters, Hayate appeared in the middle of the arena once again. The moment he did so, the screens flickered for a moment before displaying an odd array of mixed images and swirling colors. At the base of each screen stood a Kurama ninja, their brows laced in concentration as they focused on their assigned task.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he called out calmly, "please follow the Konoha ninja in your section calmly and quietly. They will escort you to where you need to go. Please follow their instructions as quickly and efficiently as possible. You will be safe with them. Please follow the Konoha ninja in your section calmly and quietly. They will..."

The crowd, easily snared by the genjutsu suggestions being fed into their minds, turned to the ninja closest to them, awaiting instructions. They would be escorted, one group at a time, out of the stadium and to their assigned shelters. The ninja escorting each group would make the call to determine whether the most direct route was safe enough to employ.

Most of Konoha had gathered to watch the final match of the Chuunin Exams, which meant that if the ninja successfully repelled any potential attacks on the stadium that most of Konoha would be protected. The stadium was a horrible defensive position, however, only made tenable by the sheer number of ninja protecting it; the likelihood of preventing all possible attacks was very low. The more of the crowd they could move to the shelters – which a handful of prepared ninja could hold for days if need be – the better off everyone would be. Every group that reached their assigned shelter also meant another group of ninja that could deal with the actual threat rather than protecting non-combatants.

"Most impressive, Hokage-dono," the Kazekage said as he watched the meticulously coordinated efforts of the Konoha forces. "It seems that you have everything well in hand. I will attend to the Wind Lord and leave you to deal with these upstarts."

"Of course, Kazekage-dono," the Hokage replied, watching his counterpart carefully. He only relaxed once the man had left the room and was well on his way to the proper shelter. He had almost expected to be attacked at any moment, but it seemed the Kazekage was playing a subtler game. Regardless, now that the Kazekage had removed himself from the field, he could focus his attention on other matters.

He moved quickly to the top of the stadium, staring out over Konoha as he tried to identify the source of the attack. It didn't take him long at all, as a massive forest had sprung up in the middle of the commercial district. He only knew of two men who could possibly do that, and one of them was currently standing on top of the stadium nearby.

The other was dead.

"That's impossible...," he muttered to himself. Then his face darkened as he recalled a forbidden jutsu that made such a thing not only possible, but likely. If that were the case, however, this situation could be far worse than they had anticipated.

"Dragon!" the Hokage snapped, turning to the ANBU Commander who stood nearby. "Alert all of our forces that the enemy is using the Impure World Resurrection technique. They have summoned a crude imitation of the Shodaime, and will be able to use any techniques he used in life.

"There are two ways to counter the technique. The first – and likely easier given who was summoned – is to kill the summoner. The summoner should be within a few hundred feet of the Shodaime's imitation, so have all available Hyuuga scan for him carefully.

"The other option is to disable the imitation directly. Somewhere within his body will be an anchoring tag; if the tag is destroyed the jutsu will end. Have the Akimichi and Inuzuka focus on engaging the Shodaime directly if possible; their techniques should damage the body enough to expose or even break the tag.

"Also, have any available Aburame saturate the area with their kikaichuu. The imitation has to be supplied with chakra from an external source, so they may be able to locate the summoner that way."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Dragon said quickly.

"Have all forces coordinate with Shikaku from this point on – he will be located near the Hokage Tower."

"Yes, Hokage-sama... if I may ask, where will you be?"

"Who better to counter a Hokage than another Hokage?"

* * *

-Outside the Stadium-

-10:20 AM-

It was rather fortunate that the method he was using to enter Konoha undetected suppressed _all _chakra in his body or he may have gotten caught in the genjutsu used to keep the crowd under control, Itachi mused. He patiently followed along with the crowd being escorted by Konoha ninja, waiting for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed. He found it a minute later as the crowd passed by a dark alley. The ninja escorting them were more concerned with external threats than making sure that the enthralled civilians didn't separate from the group so it was a very simple task.

Now that he was able to move about the village, he carefully avoided both the ever-expanding battle in the center of the village and the ninja leaping overhead. A few minutes later he reached his destination: the Konoha Records Department. A quick glance inside confirmed his suspicions, as he noted the shattered, blood-covered walls and the bodies of the ninja assigned to guard the Records Department.

He had suspected from the moment he heard of the impending attack that someone would go after Konoha's most sensitive documents; the knowledge contained within, in terms of both ninja techniques and more mundane information, was bound to interest a great many people. Once again, his instincts had not failed him.

Whoever had planned this assault had predicted Konoha's reaction well; the Hokage had left everything but the outer walls and the stadium manned by a skeleton crew. With so many potential targets, especially in terms of foreign dignitaries and nobles, Konoha simply did not have enough ninja on hand to cover everything. The Hokage had prioritized what they felt were the most likely or risky targets and trusted to their static defenses to stop or at least delay other avenues of attack; fortunately for Itachi, the static defenses were not sufficient in this case.

He settled into a convenient shadow, expertly concealing his presence, and slipped the bracelet off of his wrist. He may have declined the job to assassinate Gaara, but that didn't mean he was going to let this opportunity go to waste.

A few minutes later his patience was rewarded as two ninja – one wearing a Konoha headband and the other wearing an Oto headband – quickly exited the building and began moving rapidly towards Konoha's walls. He recognized the black-haired Oto-nin as the one who had battled Temari in the first bout yesterday - Kidomaru, he believed his name was. The Konoha-nin had gray hair yet looked to be in his mid-twenties, Itachi couldn't recall ever encountering the ninja before, and he did not have any distinctive markings or physical traits that would identify as belonging to one of Konoha's clans.

Itachi followed behind the fleeing ninja, biding his time until they were outside the walls of Konoha and his chakra had recovered sufficiently to engage in a battle against the two of them.

* * *

-Arena-

-10:20 AM-

"And that would be our signal," Kuushou said.

Gaara lowered his hands, allowing his clones to collapse. "Very well."

The barriers dividing the arena a moment later lowered, and their teammates entered the open field a moment later.

"This entire exam has been annoying," Kankuro said. "First the Oto team doesn't take it seriously, then we have to fake the fight for this round. Can't believe I had to wait three years for this."

"Complain later," Temari growled. "We've got bigger things to worry about."

Kuushou nodded. "We are supposed to head towards emergency shelter twelve, so let's get moving," he said, sounding impatient.

The others nodded silently, and followed him as he navigated through the bowels of the arena towards one of the exits. This specific exit was guarded by an ANBU who knew of the Hokage's assignment, and so merely confirmed that no hostile forces were present and waved them through quickly.

Emergency shelter twelve was located near the Shinobi District and was thus nearly a mile away from their current location. Their path did not come close to the heart of the battle, however. The two teams made their way quickly and silently across the village, noting the deserted streets and sounds of distant battle.

The sheer amount of chakra they could sense being thrown about was astonishing, as it was far more than most of them had ever felt before. The glimpses they could detect of the giant forest that had apparently sprung up in the middle of Konoha also served to confuse and astound them.

Kuushou felt a chakra signature moving closer, but paid it little mind at first. It wasn't until it stopped on a nearby rooftop and began gathering chakra for a technique that he actively paid attention to it.

His head turned to note the disguised figure currently flashing through handseals. The figure was garbed entirely in black, every inch of the ninja's body covered except for the eyes. The figure appeared male, although it was difficult to say for sure.

"Lightning Release: Lance of Heaven!" the figure declared in a muffled voice a moment later, thrusting their hands forward.

Kuushou could feel the chakra gathering at a rapid pace, all of it aimed at himself and his teammates, and reacted swiftly. A strong Wind Style: Burst threw his teammates and the Suna team away from the center of the blast while simultaneously dampening the effect of the lightning jutsu.

Then the world turned white.

That was far and away the most damage his body had ever taken, he noted idly. His eyes were blinded and the skin over half of his body was charred and blackened. He also couldn't hear anything at all through the body, as his eardrums had burst. The worst damage was internal, however, as the nerves throughout most of his body were completely fried.

His own senses still worked fine, however, and he could feel the other genin reacting swiftly to the attack as they covered each other while not allowing the attacker time to get off another jutsu of that caliber.

He focused on healing his sight and hearing first, as well as mending the damage to the nerves. Soon he could make out Ino's furious shouting as she threatened all manner of bodily harm to their assailant. She paused in her verbal assault, however, as the assailant spoke.

"I only want the red-head," the muffled voice said, "so unless you want to end up like that blonde over there, I'd suggest you leave now." There was a bit of tension in the voice, however, and Kuushou could feel Temari's chakra in particular flaring wildly as she hurled a series of strong wind jutsu at their attacker.

It would appear that the would-be assassin had expected to do a lot more damage with that initial attack and wasn't quite prepared to deal with so many enemies at once. Gaara's sand was also moving quickly, constantly threatening the disguised ninja and forcing them to dodge repeatedly.

Judging by their words, the attacker had dismissed him as a threat. Grinning to himself, he made a bunshin in his place, making sure it reflected the level of damage he had initially taken, and slipped underground. He continued to heal the damage he had taken while he observed the battle taking place overhead, maneuvering into position. He had to let the bunshin dissolve as he moved too far away to maintain it, but by that point he was well-hidden.

A series of sand spikes from Gaara had the attacker leaping into the air, at which point Temari's Wind Blades slammed into him. The attacker appeared to have some sort of defensive technique as the jutsu did not slice him apart, but he was still hurled backwards to slam into a nearby building. Kankuro's puppet was the hardest to track for Kuushou as there was very little chakra in it, but judging by the way the enemy rapidly rolled away he had likely launched some sort of attack of his own.

Ino, meanwhile, was putting her training with Kakashi to good use, swiftly countering any of the quick but weak techniques the enemy managed to get off. Small lances of lightning-natured chakra – far slower and weaker than actual lightning – were diverted by grounded arcs of electricity, and waves of sparking motes of light were pulled together and extinguished by charged kunai. Hinata, who didn't dare close to melee range with all the jutsu flying about and didn't have any water at hand to use her own jutsu, was standing back from the battle and presumably watching for any other attackers.

Then the assailant dodged close enough to his current position and Kuushou was in motion.

He popped out of the ground a short distance behind the disguised ninja, blended chakra already forming a swirling sphere in his hand. The ninja reacted swiftly and well, diving to the side rather than turning to face his attacker, but not swiftly enough. The rasengan slammed into the side of the ninja's chest and shredded through flesh and bone with ease.

Arcs of blood through the air as the ninja let out a choked scream before landing on the ground a short distance away. Blood continued to pour out of the ninja, but Kuushou could tell that they had already died – their body just didn't know it yet.

"Holy shit," Temari breathed. "What the hell was that?"

Kuushou grinned, turning to face the genin and ignoring the copious amounts of blood splattered on his form.

"That," he said, "is how you make sure an enemy stays down for good."

* * *

**A/N: **

**I actually had some more ideas for how they could change around the arena for the second day, and also change the selection rules to screw with the teams, but then I realized that the battle itself was completely irrelevant to the plot... alas.**

**I shall include them here for posterity. The open field would be filled with various debilitating traps, the forest filled with animals from the Forest of Death, and the pit... would be filled with water. The selection criteria would also be changed, such that when the teams pick where to fight and who to fight... they get placed in another section or against a different opponent.**

**After the first two rounds where the selection process was real and straightforward, the teams wouldn't see it coming. Sadly, all of that doesn't have a place in this story.**

**There's a lot going on after Orochimaru begins his attack, all of it squeezed together in the space of an hour. I'm still trying to decide the best way to present what happens. Right now, as I did above, I'll shift viewpoints in a roughly (very roughly) chronological fashion and use what one group sees to establish what other groups are doing. For instance, I only show what Mizuki and Kidomaru are up to via Itachi, and leave exactly what they did inside the Records Department and how up to implication.**

** If that doesn't work, let me know now. I don't intend to present the whole thing like that, but the less pivotal aspects (Anko and her team dealing with Eastern Dragons mercs, for example) won't be getting much direct screen time as it stands.**

**Revised: 01/22/2012 - added a bit more detail to the Itachi scene  
**


	38. Unwelcome Reunions, Part II

-August 2nd, 347 NE-

-10:25 AM-

-Konoha-

_"That," Kuushou said, "is how you make sure an enemy stays down for good." _

"I'll say," Kankuro muttered, staring at the shattered mess that had been their attacker. Then he shook himself, turning his gaze to Kuushou. "Nevermind that though, how are you _standing _right now? I got a look at you before the fight really got going; you were... well, not ok," he finished lamely, realizing that Ino was standing right there. Temari just nodded silently in agreement, looking vaguely disturbed.

Ino looked unperturbed, but then Kuushou knew she understood that he could survive pretty much anything and so had no cause to worry. On the other hand, she _had_ been rather upset judging by what she had threatened to do to their attacker.

Gaara looked as impassive as ever, appearing more interested in his answer to Kankuro's question than worried about his health. Hinata had witnessed lesser feats of healing from him prior to this, although she looked rather pale and seemed to be staring at him with an odd intensity.

Kuushou shrugged. "I'm quite good at healing myself, and my condition is rather useful in that regard. I wouldn't expect that to work for anyone else in similar circumstances, though," he added. "Anyway, we need to keep moving."

The others nodded quickly, saving any additional comments they may have had for later. They continued their journey towards their assigned shelter, paying much more attention to their surroundings and wary of any further attacks. They completed the rest of their journey without incident, arriving outside a small restaurant that appeared perfectly normal, only the name on the sign distinguishing it from the others around it.

"Ino and Hinata will lead you to the actual shelter, but I have a different assignment," Kuushou said.

"I still don't like it," Hinata said suddenly, frowning. "What happens if you get hurt like you did earlier? You won't have anyone there to protect you."

Kuushou turned to face Hinata, curious. She had eventually accepted the plan when they discussed it last night, but she seemed to be having second thoughts now.

"You are one of the targets," Kuushou pointed out, "whereas I am not." The Hokage had decided it would be much easier to explain his role to his teammates if they were not told he was being targeted as well.

"But-" Hinata began, but was interrupted by an unexpected source.

"I will accompany him," Gaara said calmly.

"What?" Temari snapped. "Gaara, we just fought off an assassin who was trying to kill you! You need to be in the shelter just as much as she does!"

"And if I were attacked in such a confined space surrounded by other people, I would not be able to defend myself properly without endangering everyone else."

Kuushou clapped his hands together, the sudden sound cutting the brewing argument short. "The Hokage appointed me the leader of this little group, so it's my call. Hinata and Gaara both have a point, and so Gaara will come with me. Between the two of us and our... advantages, I doubt we'll run into anyone who could cause problems. Everyone else into the shelter. Now."

Their training dictated that they follow orders even when they didn't particularly like them, so the others eventually acquiesced and entered the restaurant, although not without some worried glances from Hinata.

"Kick some ass, little brother," Ino called out as she gently pushed Hinata through the door.

Once they were out of sight, Kuushou motioned to Gaara and hopped to the rooftops, where he paused as he focused on his senses and tried to determine the situation within Konoha.

"So why'd you really want to come with me?" he asked, turning to Gaara.

"I have not had the chance to determine what I am fully capable of now," Gaara admitted. "The circumstances of the exams were rather limiting."

"Looking for a real challenge, eh? Or is a certain someone itching to cut loose?" Gaara didn't reply, but Kuushou shrugged. "Either way, I don't think we'll have a lot of luck. I'm not sensing anyone particularly interesting that we could run into. On the other hand," he said, his head turning, "the Shinobi District seems to have the most action, and that's close enough that we could _accidentally_ run into trouble. Shall we?"

Gaara nodded, and they both began hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

* * *

-10:25 AM-

-Shinobi Distinct-

Anko growled in annoyance as she took in the appearance of the Shinobi District. Large plumes of smoke were pouring out of nearly every building in sight, and in the distance she could see would-be thieves and looters scurrying about. Her teams had been in position to respond to any threats that may appear once the anticipated "disruption" actually occurred, but they had all be taken off guard by the sheer scale of the attack as well as those responsible.

It hadn't been intentional, really, or even a conscious decision, but everyone from the Hokage on down had focused on potential attacks from foreign ninja or missing-nin, and Anko and her team were no exception. She realized now that had been a mistake, as their current opponents were nothing more than normal thieves and bandits for the most part and they had not adequately prepared to deal with large numbers of opponents. They had anticipated fighting highly skilled infiltrators and assassins, not dozens upon dozens of two-bit thugs.

The continuing detonations from exploding tags indicated that at least some among the enemy were capable of utilizing chakra, but the skill required to activate a correctly constructed exploding tag was D-rank at most – all Academy graduates were expected to be able to do at least that much. Chuunin and even blooded-genin could handle the people Anko was dealing with right now, but they were all assigned as reserves or to non-combat zones in anticipation that they would not be able to deal with the caliber of opponents likely to strike in the middle of a ninja village.

They had already come across two corpses who had apparently blown themselves up, though, so it seemed that someone – a missing-nin, most likely – had attempted to teach common thugs enough to activate tags without necessarily warning them about what could go wrong. The gaping holes in walls and the shattered doorways were telling signs that enough of them were skilled enough to be a threat, however.

Anko spotted another small group of thieves making their way into one of the nearby apartment complexes and summoned up another group of snakes to take care of them. Her orders were to capture if possible, and with the relative skill levels of her team compared to the people they were facing, it was just as easy to capture them as it was to kill them. On the other hand, they already had quite a few prisoners and nowhere to take them at the moment, so she would likely make the call to begin taking out the thieves using more permanent means soon.

"Mitarashi-san," a tokubetsu jounin said as he appeared nearby, "my team has been dispatched to provide an update regarding the situation elsewhere within Konoha and to provide reinforcements if necessary."

Anko motioned for him to follow her to a nearby rooftop and cleared the distance in a single leap, landing lightly on her feet. The tokubetsu jounin landed a moment later, his team appearing around him. There were four of them, all chuunin.

"Split them up into two groups," she ordered, "and start taking out any thieves you spot."

"Capture or kill?"

"Kill," she replied after a moment. "We've got too many prisoners as it is, and I don't want to tie up any more ninja keeping track of them."

"Understood," the leader replied, and with a series of quick motions his subordinates had paired off and left the rooftop.

"Now give me that update."

"The enemy is using the Impure World Resurrection technique and has summoned the First Hokage," he replied. "At this time there appears to be only one summon, although we do not believe that is the full extent of the attack. Hokage-sama and ANBU have moved to contain that threat while other teams are searching for the summoner.

"The stadium is currently being evacuated, with current estimates placing complete evacuation still thirty minutes away. All high-risk targets have already been secured, including the known targets. As of the time I was dispatched, there had been no attempts to infiltrate or attack the stadium.

"In addition, three missing-nin, all A-rank, have been killed – we believe that they were among those who accepted the bounties for the various targets."

Anko nodded to herself, sorting through the information. All in all, they seemed to have things more or less in hand, though she found it very strange that no one had even attempted to target the stadium.

She scanned around her, keeping an eye out for any further thieves, and noticed one standing outside a house near the edge of the district. He seemed to be doing something with the gate, though she couldn't quite make it out from here.

She moved closer, clearing the distance between the buildings easily, and observed as the blond man lifted his hand, formed some sort of technique, and slammed it into the gate. There was a bright flash, and when her vision cleared the ground before the gate was charred and there was no sign of the would-be thief. Smirking, she realized that the thief – a ninja, judging by the technique, though a particularly stupid one – had attempted to force his way into the Fourth Hokage's compound and run afoul of the security seals that guarded it.

A moment later, she noticed movement at the base of the gate. There was some sort of small black object there, but it was rapidly obscured by a dark substance that coalesced seemingly out of thin air and took the shape of a man. She took in the blonde hair and the white coat... a white coat with a very distinctive flame design along the bottom edge.

For a long moment, it felt like her heart had stopped beating.

The next moment she was pushing her body as hard as she could and flaring her chakra in the agreed upon emergency retreat signal. That signal meant that all of the ninja under her command were to disengage immediately and move to a designated location to regroup and reassess the situation. She snagged the newly arrived tokubetsu jounin a moment later, gripping his arm tightly as she carried him along with her.

"Fucking go back and tell them that they fucking called back the Fourth too. Go!"

* * *

-Miles Outside of Konoha-

-10:30 AM-

Orochimaru frowned as he sat in a meditative pose in a small hideout miles outside of Konoha.

Jirobo remained hidden for the moment under the rubble of the hotel, but he didn't expect that to last much longer. The Shodaime had successfully drawn the attention of the Hokage and a significant portion of ANBU – along with, he noted delightedly, another of his former experiments. The ANBU countering the Shodaime's wood release techniques with his own was without a doubt one of the children he had gifted with power shortly before he left Konoha.

The death toll on Konoha's side was fairly low, but then he didn't want to kill them; he wanted to wound them enough that they were sent to the various medical extraction points so that Sakon and Ukon could pick up some promising specimens. In that regard he was doing very well, as five ANBU and three jounin had been removed from the battlefield by medical teams.

The Nidaime had not been spotted as he moved stealthily towards the stadium – or at least none of the ninja in the area had reacted to his presence yet – but that would be changing very soon.

And the Yondaime... well, that was proving to be rather irritating. Attempts to command him to "open the gate," "unlock the seal," or some variation thereof had all failed miserably. He had contemplated attempting to gain access through other areas, but it had quickly become obvious that there was a barrier protecting the entire estate and that the gate was the "weakest" point, not that the designation meant all that much. His last-ditch effort to simply destroy the gate entirely had instead destroyed the reconstructed body as well as managing to slightly damage the anchor rod for the jutsu. He could readily admit that he was impressed by both the thoroughness and the lethality of the Yondaime's protections – it reminded him of how he protected his own possessions.

Still, that left him without access to the Yondaime's house and any knowledge or tools stored there, so it was time to move on to the secondary option in the Hokage's Tower. It was possible either the armory or the Hokage's office contained a working Hiraishin kunai; if not, a few exploding notes would still ensure that his visit was not entirely without merit.

He shifted his attention back to the Shodaime for a moment, manipulating the forest around him to strike at the ninja closing in, then to the Nidaime as he crept ever closer to the stadium.

Despite his preparations and planning, he still found that he had thoroughly underestimated the complexity of maintaining three separate entities under true battlefield conditions. The threads from the chakra teams were proving much more difficult to control than they had on prior occasions, and even with only one of his summons actively engaged in combat at the moment he was still having trouble fully keeping track of the movements of the Hokage and his ANBU.

He was gaining a great deal of useful experience from this, but it seemed that he would be better off controlling one body at a time than attempting to maintain a group of them. He would need to take that into account for future plans.

His attention was pulled back to Jirobo as a swarm of kikaichuu descended on that body. He could feel them leeching away at the chakra moving through the resurrected ninja, but the anchor prevented them from severing or even significantly impairing the connection itself.

A small chuckle escaped from Orochimaru's lips as he remotely observed the enlarged limb of an Akimichi crush Jirobo completely, the organs liquefying and bones shattering under the force of the giant ninja's blow.

Time to begin phase two.

* * *

-10:35 AM-

-Commercial District-

The Hokage watched in satisfaction as the imitation of the First Hokage crumbled, the black rod that served as the anchor for the jutsu clattering to the ground a moment later. With that threat dealt with, the ninja gathered here could begin sweeping the village for more threats. He wasn't naive enough to believe that this was the extent of the threat, but this was certainly a large portion of it.

He signaled for the other ninja to begin securing the area and splitting off into teams, then turned to his ANBU Commander.

"Do you see anything we need to address immediately, Dragon, or should we fall back to check in with Shikaku?"

The other ninja didn't reply immediately. "Hokage-sama...," he said slowly, his voice tense. "The ninja they just took out had a black rod implanted within him. The body was real, but... that rod is identical to the one that was controlling the Shodaime. Something doesn't seem right about this."

The Hokage frowned thoughtfully, turning to examine the forest once again. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a massive surge of chakra coming from the direction of the stadium. Even from this distance, the enormous wall of water was easily visible; it stood taller than the stadium itself and looked to be several feet thick at least. He could also just barely make out someone standing atop the wall of water before the whole thing rushed forward and crashed into the stadium.

"It's the Nidaime, Hokage-sama," Dragon bit out, his voice tense. "Whoever is doing this has summoned him as well."

"Take command here," he snapped. "Once you are certain that the situation is under control, dispatch as many ninja as you can spare to assist at the stadium. The evacuation likely isn't even half over yet, so the priority is to rescue as many civilians as possible. I will deal with the Nidaime."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

Dragon immediately turned his attention back to the situation at hand. One of the Akimichi was currently trying to break the black rod that served as the anchor tag for the Shodaime, but despite his immense strength he was unable to so much as bend it. Then the Akimichi let out a pained cry as a dark substance began to cover his arm and threw the rod to the ground. He began to frantically brush the ash off of his body, revealing that his flesh on his hands and arms had been eaten away.

The other ninja in the area sprang into action, beginning to pelt the rod with a continuous series of jutsu to prevent the Shodaime from resurrecting. They seemed to be successful in destroying the ash that was forming out of thin air, but none of their attacks damaged the rod at all.

"Set up a rotation!" he ordered. "Don't bother trying to break the rod, just focus on keeping the body from reforming!"

His byakugan was unable to find the source of the chakra that was surely flowing to the rod from _somewhere_, but the byakugan wasn't the only option available. He turned to a nearby Aburame, asking "Can your kikaichuu detect where the chakra is coming from?"

The Aburame hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I believe so. The chakra seems to be saturating the air around the anchor, but it seems to be slightly more concentrated in one direction."

The Aburame released even more kikaichuu from his body until they filled the air around him, thousands upon thousands of small insects moving in all directions. After a moment, Dragon could also discern the pattern to their movements as they began to drift in one direction... towards the other enemy ninja that had been defeated less than a minute before.

"So... he _is _the source of the jutsu?" he asked hesitantly. "Why is it still working then?"

While he waited on the Aburame to determine what was going on, he shifted his focus in a quick scan of Konoha.

The Hokage had arrived at the stadium and was personally combating the resurrected Nidaime while the ninja still in the stadium were frantically scrambling to ward off the Nidaime's attacks, which were focused on the still-entranced civilians. The genjutsu was beginning to break, however, and if they didn't get the situation back under control the people still trapped in the stadium would begin to panic. If that happened, the casualties would only get worse.

He turned his attention to the Shinobi District and his brow furrowed in confusion. He could see Anko flaring her chakra to signal a retreat, but couldn't determine any reason why she would do such a thing. He started to make a more thorough sweep of the area, but the Aburame spoke up and pulled his focus back to his current location.

"I do not believe that he is the source," the Aburame said finally, shaking his head. "There are at least four directions where the chakra may be coming from, perhaps more. One leads back to the Shodaime, another towards the stadium, a third towards the Shinobi District, and a fourth towards the Hokage Tower. I believe if we follow those threads we will eventually find the true source."

"Very well," Dragon said quickly. "Pick out three more of your clansmen, and I'll assign each of you a squad of ANBU to support you. Your sole objective is to find and eliminate the source of chakra that is sustaining the Impure World Resurrection jutsu."

"Yes, Dragon-sama," the Aburame said quickly, moving off to carry out his orders.

Dragon then turned his attention back to the teams who were dealing with the anchor rods. As per his orders, there was a group of five shinobi who were alternating jutsu at a measured pace as well as ten more ready to step into place should it prove necessary.

Deciding not to take any risks, he directed that the second ninja's body be moved next to the Shodaime's anchor rod so that both could be eliminated at the same time. The body did not seem to be regenerating as the Shodaime's did, but that didn't mean it couldn't given the opportunity. Soon the body had been completely destroyed and both tags were bathed in a constant stream of fire.

Satisfied that they had the situation under control, Dragon designated ten ninja to maintain their attacks on the rods and sent the rest towards the stadium. As he did so, a tokubetsu jounin arrived via shunshin, his face clearly panicked.

"Hokage-sama!" he called out, his voice tense with fear.

"Hokage-sama is dealing with the resurrected Nidaime at the stadium," Dragon replied calmly. "You can deliver your message to me."

"The Nidaime too?" the ninja yelped. "Kami, they resurrected all of them!"

A sudden hush fell over the assembled ninja, even the steady stream of fire jutsu faltering for a moment.

"What do you mean, 'all of them'?" Dragon asked lowly, his voice tense.

"Mitarashi-jounin sent a report that the resurrected Yondaime was spotted outside the Namikaze Compound!" the ninja shouted

Dragon quickly stifled his fear, calling upon his years of experience to remain focused and rational. At least now he knew why Anko had abandoned the Shinobi District – after all, the Yondaime was the only ninja in the history of the Elemental Nations who had earned a universal Flee-On-Sight order. Even Sarutobi-sama couldn't claim that distinction.

He was fully in control of himself a moment later, his mind already analyzing how he should respond. Judging by the capabilities shown by the resurrected Shodaime, the Yondaime would be far from his peak condition; it also seemed that he was not able to use the Hiraishin for some reason, else they would likely already be dead.

Even without the Hiraishin, however, the Yondaime still had the Rasengan, which made him incredibly dangerous to combat at close-range. Not for the first time, Dragon cursed his clan's stubborn insistence on focusing so heavily on their taijutsu skills. His own abilities at long-range combat were limited at best, barely meriting an A-rank. It was also unclear how effective the Jyuuken would be against a ninja brought back by the Impure World Resurrection technique.

If they could eliminate the body, they should be able to keep him down just as easily as they were preventing the Shodaime from reforming. Accomplishing that task in the first place might be beyond their capabilities, however.

* * *

-10:40 AM-

-Stadium-

"What could you possibly hope to gain from this?" the Hokage snarled as he faced off against the resurrected Nidaime. "Konoha will never rest until we have eliminated the ones who are behind this attack – you have only succeeded in signing your own death warrant."

Whoever was controlling the jutsu did not respond immediately, instead summoning another wall of water out of thin air and sending it crashing towards another group of civilians. The ninja guarding the stadium were prepared this time, however, and the wall was met by ramparts of earth and stone even as the Konoha ninja with water affinities pulled the wall apart or forced it to move away from the civilians.

The Kurama were struggling to maintain the genjutsu keeping the crowd calm and organized, and some sections of the crowd had already broken free and had begun rushing towards the nearest exit. With the stadium breached, the ninja who were previously guarding the walls and keeping an eye out for any attackers were now assisting with the evacuation, but it was still going far too slowly for the Hokage's peace of mind.

He froze when he heard a hauntingly familiar laugh issue from the Nidaime's mouth.

"Kukuku...," the Nidaime chuckled, a smirk crossing his face. His movements suddenly became far more fluid, a sharp change from the stilted, halting motions punctuated by moments of grace that had characterized them before now. "I'm hurt, Sensei. You make it sound like you weren't already trying to kill me before now."

"Orochimaru...," the Hokage growled, his emotions torn between seething hatred and bitter self-recrimination – his moment of weakness so many years before had come back to haunt his village in the worst way possible. "Does your depravity never cease? Must you defile the memory of the Hokages in this manner?"

Even as he spoke, his mind was racing as he added this new knowledge to his understanding of the situation. It seemed obvious now that Orochimaru was the one who wanted the various bloodline-bearing children kidnapped – he was undoubtedly trying to continue the inhumane experiments that had turned the village against him in the first place. That might even explain who was after Anko, though he shuddered to think what his fallen student would do to the newly promoted jounin in the name of research. As for the bounty on Naruto... that seemed unlikely; his student had never shown any interest in jinchuuriki before, although that _could _have changed in the years since he had fled Konoha.

Sarutobi still felt like he was still missing a piece of the puzzle, though. All of the known targets were being handled by mercenaries and missing-nin, which was the complete opposite of Orochimaru's normal method of operation. Like Anko had said, anything truly important he handled himself, which meant the real purpose of this attack lay elsewhere.

The Shodaime was already taken care of, however, and the Nidaime stood before him, so-

"You didn't," the Hokage gasped, his face paling.

"Didn't what, _Sensei?_" the Nidaime hissed, his tone mocking. As he spoke, more water coalesced, this time forming into a towering dragon that he sent rampaging into the stadium. The outer walls broke apart and part of the interior was destroyed before the water dragon was met by three smaller dragons fashioned of earth and stone. The titanic creatures began to crash against one another, their serpentine bodies coiling around their opponents and claws digging into water or stone. The battle seemed even for the moment, but the water dragon was prevented from pursuing the fleeing civilians.

The Hokage barked a laugh then, and his expression changed to a look of pity. "You couldn't figure it out, could you? Not even after you tore part of his soul out of the afterlife. You, who have thrown aside all morals and limits in the pursuit of knowledge, are still scrabbling desperately to reach the feet of my successor."

Sarutobi darted forward, the adamantine staff in his hands blurring as it assaulted the Nidaime from all sides. The Nidaime dodged what he could and allowed the unnatural regeneration of the jutsu to restore the damage he took from the blows he was unable to avoid. The Nidaime's efforts were focused on summoning more attacks to send into the stadium, and he got off two more despite the Hokage's intervention.

The Nidaime's expression twisted. "As if you could possibly understand the beauty of what I have accomplished. No technique ever created shall remain beyond my reach." He laughed then. "Even you shall die before long, perhaps even today, and then I shall learn from The Professor once again."

"I may have taught you much, Orochimaru, but it seems you have learned nothing," the Hokage said, his expression hardening. A moment later the staff thrust forward and impaled the other ninja. The Nidaime's eyes widened as he felt the massive amount of chakra closing in, and he tried to tear himself off of the staff. Before he could, though, the adamantine staff in the Hokage's hands burst into smoke, revealing Enma. The Monkey King wrapped his body around the Nidaime, preventing the simulacrum from moving out of the way.

"Dynamic Entry!" Maito Gai called out joyously as he leapt into the fray from behind the Nidaime, his whirling kick catching the Nidaime in the back and flinging him into the air. Enma dispersed himself a moment later, leaving the Nidaime alone in the air.

Gai paused a moment, breathing deeply; chakra was pouring off of his body and his skin had reddened, while his eyes were completely white. He exhaled sharply, then leapt into the air, proclaiming. "Morning Peacock!"

His fists blurred into motion, and the very air around him began to ignite until a fiery trail followed the path of his hands with every strike. Each blow shattered the construct that was the Nidaime, clothing and skin reverting into ash once again before burning away completely. The form of the Nidaime was no longer even recognizable mere moments later, but still Gai's attack did not falter. Soon the black rod that served as the anchor for the jutsu was visible from within a misshapen lump of ash, and still Gai's onslaught continued.

The Hokage could feel the heat generated by Gai's attack from the roof of the stadium; he smiled slightly to himself as he watched one of his most loyal and effective shinobi in action. He turned his head then as he heard a crackling sound from the left, and saw Kakashi crouched slightly, one hand held in front of him with a blade formed of lightning chakra extending from his fingers.

"Gai!" Kakashi called, then immediately darted forward and leapt into the air.

Gai seemed to understand the signal as he ceased his attack and seized the black rod, positioning it so that Kakashi would have a clear cut at it. Ash began forming around the rod, and Gai winced slightly as it began to eat into his flesh, but the rod did not change position in the slightest. Kakashi was there a moment later, the Raikiri technique moving through the rod.

There was a tense silence on the roof for a moment, then Gai pulled his arms apart, revealing that the rod had been split cleanly in half. The ash fell away a moment later, revealing Gai's bleeding but mostly intact hands.

"Well done, both of you," the Hokage said as they landed. "However, this is not over yet; the Fourth Hokage has also been resurrected and is likely somewhere within the village. We need to find him as soon as possible."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," the two responded in unison; their expressions were tense but they were both ready to follow their Hokage into battle. All three vanished in a shunshin a moment later.

* * *

-10:40 AM-

-Outside of Konoha-

Itachi perched in the branches of a tree far above the clearing, observing the two ninja who had fled the Records Department. He watched for any sign that they may have noticed someone following them, but they gave no indication of that; instead it seemed like they had reached their destination for the moment, as they relaxed slightly and began to rest. There was a tense silence between them and they did not remain near each other for very long, but there were no signs of imminent betrayal by one or the other either.

That they were stopping here meant this was probably a rendezvous point, which meant that additional ninja could show up at any time. His chakra wasn't entirely restored yet, but he had more than enough to take on the two in the clearing below. The longer he delayed the more likely it was that they would get reinforcements or that a third party would intervene and make the situation even more complicated.

He moved closer, his steps completely silent as he walked down the side of the tree, and pulled out four kunai. This particular trick he had learned long ago, but it had never stopped being useful; after taking a moment to make sure his targets would remain still, he threw two of the kunai and performed a variation of the _bunshin_ technique.

To the ninja in the clearing, it appeared as if a swarm of kunai were lancing towards them from every direction. The gray-haired Konoha ninja threw himself out of the way, rolling desperately to avoid the lethal projectiles. The Oto-nin was much calmer, spinning behind the tree he had been leaning against and running through a quick series of handseals before creating a dome of earth to shield him. Though it wasn't visible, Itachi could feel the tiny pulse of chakra indicating that the ninja had slipped underground and was moving out of the clearing swiftly.

Clearly the Oto-nin was much more skilled and experienced and thus the greater threat, but he would take care of the Konoha ninja first. He watched the ninja continue to scramble about for a moment, then hefted the other two kunai he held and threw them. Both struck true, one piercing the ninja's throat and the other striking his chest and penetrating his heart with a solid _thunk_. The ninja crumpled to the ground and expired a moment later.

Noting that the other ninja was still moving away from the clearing, Itachi leapt to the forest floor and swiftly sealed the Konoha ninja's corpse into a storage scroll; he would take the time to examine the corpse for any useful items or information later.

That done, he set off in pursuit of the fleeing Oto-nin.

Thirty seconds after Itachi left the clearing, two black-cloaked ninja entered it. One had a _nodachi_ strapped across their back while the other had no visible weapons.

"Someone died here," the second said in a distorted voice as they knelt next to the blood staining the grass. "Looks like another ninja took the body, probably in a storage scroll."

"There's a battle taking place to the northwest. I don't recognize either of the signatures, though," the first ninja said, their voice equally distorted.

"We'll check it out. We can't help out inside Konoha, but we can take care of any problems outside the walls."

With that, they both left the clearing.

The shadow clone Itachi had left behind observed their interaction curiously as he attempted to discern the identity and purpose of the two ninja. They matched the descriptions he had heard for the infamous "Sword and Hammer" duo - the _nodachi _was an unusual weapon, especially for a ninja - but those two were independents; there had been no indication prior to this that they worked for Konoha in any capacity, not even in rumor.

After a moment, the clone dispersed to alert his creator of the pursuers he would soon have to deal with.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm not entirely satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but I think the issues I'm having are due to the nature of the story more than anything else. I've used a lot of viewpoints in the last thirty-seven chapters (holy shit, I've written _thirty-seven _chapters for this story) and it feels wrong not to include at least some of them as I detail the battle. At the same time, the attack itself is largely a feint and the readers know that, so I don't feel that I should waste time writing thousands upon thousands of words for a particular battle where the outcome is essentially predetermined. Not sure if that's a flaw in plotting or presentation, but I'm leaning towards the latter. I have read (and lost interest in) stories that do that (long, drawn-out, pointless battles where Naruto or some other character is involved when you _know _that they have plot armor seven miles thick), so I'm pretty sure that's _one _mistake I'm avoiding.**

**I estimate another two chapters to deal with the attack, and then another chapter or two of aftermath, then the end of Part II. Given how accurate I've been with estimates up to now, that translates to 3-8 chapters more. z.z  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	39. Unwelcome Reunions, Part III

-August 2nd, 347 NE-

-10:45 AM-

-Konoha, Shinobi District-

Kuushou stopped on a roof at the edge of the Shinobi District and observed the situation. The Konoha ninja were rapidly withdrawing from the area, their movements barely organized enough to avoid being called a total retreat. There were over a hundred miniscule signatures that denoted civilians moving about and roughly a dozen signatures large enough to qualify as ninja.

The largest signature in the district was... strange; it felt like there were actually several different signatures woven together, but then they were being subsumed into another, stronger signature that was both human and not. It was chakra, certainly, but it lacked some vital quality that was present in the other ninja. He pondered for a moment, eventually deciding that it felt more like a concentration of recently expended chakra than anything else, although even that wasn't fully accurate.

Anything that unusual was worth looking into, he decided, and so he headed in that direction with Gaara following along silently. A few moments later they intercepted the signature as it leapt from roof to roof, and they all paused to take stock of one another.

Kuushou recognized who the man appeared to be, of course, but _that _was one signature he would not be forgetting any time soon. What he sensed from the thing before him vaguely resembled the feel of the Yondaime's chakra, but only to a point; physically, on the other hand, the likeness was perfect.

"Interesting," Gaara said, a small smile growing on his face. "I thought the Fourth Hokage was dead."

"He is," Kuushou replied easily, studying the thing before him curiously. "Of that you can be _absolutely _certain... which does make me wonder what is standing before us now."

"Suna's jinchuuriki and the Yamanaka boy... interesting," the Yondaime said. "Kukuku... you should have stayed hidden away like good little children."

"And why is that?" Kuushou asked mockingly.

"You would have lived longer," the Yondaime said. Then he _moved_.

Kuushou's eyes widened – he was easily moving as fast as Lee after he dropped his weights, which was much faster than he had expected to deal with initially. Even as he reinforced his body with youki and cursed himself for not doing so earlier, his eyes widened even further as he realized that _he_ was not the Yondaime's target.

Gaara – or Ryuudo, more likely – had not been as complacent about the possible dangers within Konoha; a wall of sand was already moving to intercept the Yondaime. Kuushou cursed when he saw the little blue orb that had appeared in the Yondaime's hand and one appeared in each of his own as he darted towards the other ninja.

The Yondaime's rasengan broke through the wall of sand like it was paper – which probably saved Gaara's life. Rather than destroying the sand barrier completely, it punched a hole in it that allowed the Yondaime's arm to continue but stopped the rest of his body and thus limited his reach. This meant that the orb merely grazed Gaara's shoulder rather than driving into his chest.

Kuushou thrust both of his hands forward towards the Yondaime's torso, snarling viciously. One impacted the left side of the Yondaime's chest from behind, but rather than the blood he had expected a stream of what appeared to be dirt and ash spewed into the air. The other rasengan, held in his right hand, never made it.

The Yondaime's other hand whipped through the air, the familiar blue orb forming in a heartbeat in his upward facing palm as it almost gently slid past Kuushou's elbow. His flesh, hardened by youki, and his bones, strengthened far past normal human limits over the years, disintegrated under the force of the attack. His right hand and most of his lower arm were still intact as they spun away from him, the rasengan he had held dissipating into the air. He stared at the severed limb for a moment, then turned to face the ninja responsible, his face completely blank.

The Yondaime paused, looking back and forth between the two young ninja before him with a cruel smirk on his face even as what should have been a fatal wound restored itself with ash that appeared out of nowhere. Gaara was packing his wound with sand and cradling his right arm against his body. His expression was caught between shock and seething hatred as he stared at the man who had wounded him.

"Kukuku... I wonder what Sensei would think if he could see me now. The greatest Hokage Konoha has ever known, using his talents to maim innocent children within its streets. How... delightful." He turned to face Kuushou, a look of faked pity on his face. "I suppose the lost limb means the end of your _oh-so-promising _career," he said. "I guess the _kind_ thing would be to put you out of your misery."

The Yondaime raised his hands again, creating two more orbs within them.

"Gaara," Kuushou said, his voice flat, "keep him from running."

The Yondaime's expression faltered slightly. "What?"

Youki bubbled out of the stump on Kuushou's arm, halting the blood loss but extending no further for the moment.

"That," Kuushou said, motioning to the arm lying on the ground a short distance away, "is going to be very annoying to fix."

There was a slight rumbling from underneath them, and Kuushou glanced over to see Gaara crouching with both hands placed on the ground, his face pulled into a grimace as he concentrated. Ryuudo's youki was slowly leaking out of his body, and even from here Kuushou could feel his brother straining against the limits imposed by the seal.

"You're _both _jinchuuriki," the Yondaime said suddenly, his voice delighted. "So that's where Sensei hid you all those years ago. How clever of him; even _I _was fooled by that."

The streets around them cracked suddenly, and massive walls of earth rose up to surround Kuushou and the Yondaime. Gaara himself remained outside the walls; wisely, Kuushou thought. The jinchuuriki lacked the command of Ryuudo's youki he would need to contribute in what was about to happen.

Kuushou was plunged into near complete darkness as Gaara completed the ceiling of the impromptu cage; the only light was that given off by his own youki and the rasengan held in the Yondaime's hands. He raised the youki concentration in his eyes, completing the transformation into their blood red form, and the darkness parted before his enhanced vision.

"You don't actually think this is going to hold me, do you?" the Yondaime asked curiously. He didn't seem concerned at all by his sudden confinement – if anything, he looked amused.

"It will slow you down and limit your movements," Kuushou responded easily. "I think I can reach you faster than you can blast a hole in these walls, and if you want to try to slip through them or into the ground while Gaara is controlling them... well, that would be an amusing way to end this."

As he spoke, the youki bubbling out of the stump of his arm extended further until it formed a rough approximation of his lost appendage. He flexed the youki slightly, as if he was testing the muscles within it.

The Yondaime nodded thoughtfully as he eyed the new limb. "I see. And what do you intend to do now that you are trapped in here with me?"

"I find myself in a life or death situation once again." Kuushou grinned viciously as he flooded the rest of his body with youki. "So I'm going to panic."

The Yondaime laughed. "_Panic?_ _That_ is your solution?"

Kuushou grinned as nine streams of chakra extended from the base of his spine, forming his signature tails – if he was going to cut loose for the first time since his incarceration, he was going to do it _properly_.

"Yeah," he said as the youki concentration in his body peaked, "_**panic**_."

Then the tips of each tail began to spin, and the Yondaime wasn't laughing anymore.

* * *

-Emergency Shelter 12-

Hinata paced restlessly back and forth within the emergency shelter, her byakugan activated and her head swiveling back and forth.

"Hinata, he's going to be fine," Ino chided gently.

"How can you _say _that?" Hinata snapped, whirling on her team mate. "He almost _died _earlier, and now he's out there with only one other person to protect him!"

"That person being _Gaara_," Ino pointed out. "If there's something those two can't handle, do you honestly think we'd be of any help?" There was a bit of frustration in her voice that showed she wasn't entirely happy with the situation either.

Hinata deflated slightly.

"Hey, Nee-chan," Hanabi said, tugging on her sister's sleeve. "What do you mean Naruto almost died earlier?"

Hinata winced then, noting the curious and concerned looks she was getting from the other people in the shelter. Her father, who had his own byakugan activated and appeared to be keeping track of the situation within the village, frowned slightly in response to the question, his expression pensive. He had likely seen what happened earlier and was as disturbed as Hinata by how Naruto had seemingly ignored his brush with death.

Hinata opened her mouth to answer, but her attention was drawn back to the figures of Naruto and Gaara as they confronted an enemy shinobi. There was something oddly familiar about the other figure, though she noticed immediately that what they were facing was not a real ninja at all but some sort of construct.

"_No_...," Hiashi breathed softly.

"Tou-san," Hinata said slowly, "what's wrong? Who is that?"

"What?" Ino asked. "What's going on out there?"

Hiashi turned to face them, his expression pained. "Naruto and Gaara have just-" he began, but was interrupted by Hinata's scream as the construct attacked them using the rasengan, the same jutsu Naruto-kun had recently learned from the Sage Jiraiya.

"What?" Ino yelled, grabbing hold of Hinata. "What happened?"

"Naruto-kun, he- his arm!" Hinata stuttered out in a horrified voice.

Ino blinked. "His arm? What about his arm?"

"He- that thing, it... used a rasengan and... severed his right arm."

Ino blanched, then let out a shaky breath. "Hey, it's Naruto. He can fix that, no problem."

"Ino...," Hiashi said softly, "even for someone of his unique talents such an injury is- what?"

"What is he _doing?_" Hinata growled. She whirled on Temari and Kankuro, her expression fierce. "Why is your brother trapping Naruto-kun with that... that _thing?_"

The two Suna ninja just looked mystified. "Hey, we've got no idea what's going on out there," Kankuro said, raising his hands defensively. "You guys are the ones with the All-Seeing Eyes, not us."

"I can't see inside there!" Hinata hissed. "Your brother's chakra is too thick!"

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances before the turned back to the distraught girl. "I don't know what to tell you," Temari said, "but Gaara wouldn't just abandon Naruto. There must be a reason he's doing that."

"So Naruto is trapped inside some sort of cage that you can't see through with that other ninja?" Ino asked calmly, pulling Hinata's attention away from the Suna siblings.

"Yes," Hiashi answered for his daughter. He was observing Ino closely, an odd expression on his face.

"He'll be fine," Ino said, patting Hinata on the shoulder. "You know Naruto works best in close-quarters; Gaara is probably just making sure the enemy can't take the fight to long-range."

Hinata nodded uncertainly but allowed herself to be soothed by Ino's words. If Naruto's own sister was that certain, then shouldn't she have faith in him too?

Hiashi just watched their interaction with narrowed eyes.

* * *

-Medical Triage Point Near The Hokage Tower-

"Take a break, Kabuto-kun," Shizune said, pulling him away from his patient. "You need to restore your chakra before you pass out."

"Very well, Shizune-sama," Kabuto said, wiping the sweat from his face. His hands were shaking slightly and he swayed in place. "You are right, as always."

Shizune tossed him a quick grin before taking over where he had left off, her hands glowing green as she worked.

Kabuto made his way out of the critical care area, his weary gaze sweeping the triage center as he walked. Dozens of shinobi and civilians in various states of injury were spread throughout the warehouse, and he could spot two who had died in the midst of surgery and were left where they were as the med-nins working on them immediately shifted their efforts to other patients who were still breathing. As he watched, two chuunin hurried over and sealed away the bodies, making careful notations on the scrolls, then prepared the tables to receive a new patient for surgery.

Initially the situation had been under control, a steady but slow trickle of injured ninja coming in from the battle in the center of the village. Many had been impaled by what appeared to be tree branches and wooden spears, but the majority of them were likely to survive their wounds. Then the massive influx of injured civilians from the stadium had come in and the brisk but organized state of the triage center had dissolved into chaos as the number of injured far outstripped the medical staff they have available to treat them.

As the number of injured increased, the goal of the medical teams shifted from healing – possibly to battle-readiness once again – to stabilizing as quickly as possible and moving on. This meant that a lot of ninja, especially those injured in the stadium, were still in delicate states.

Kabuto watched as the scrolls containing the deceased ninja were carried past him and into a separate room – the same room, as it happened, where the chakra pills and other supplies were stored.

He frowned when the two chuunin did not return immediately; he was waiting on them to leave before he made his move. None of the other ninja, even the ones tasked with guarding the warehouse, seemed to notice their absence however. He didn't dare delay much longer – from the reports he had overheard the situation outside seemed to be winding down and things would only get calmer from here.

He made his way towards the storage room, smiling wearily at the guard who nodded to him respectfully.

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him even as he noted the slight scent of blood that wafted out of the door when he opened it. When he felt the blow coming from the side, he shed his weary facade and quickly slipped past the attack, driving a chakra scalpel into the attacker's head. The Oto-nin didn't even have time register shock as he dropped bonelessly to the ground.

Kabuto frowned when he saw the body still moving.

"You bastard!" came a strangled scream from underneath the corpse. Suddenly a second ninja, identical to the first, emerged from within the body. "I'll fucking kill you!" the ninja howled.

Kabuto felt an odd pulse of chakra and noted the black symbols crawling rapidly over the ninja's body; this was undoubtedly some sort of powerful technique, perhaps even a suicide technique. That wouldn't do at all.

Kabuto's hands blurred and the second ninja died just as quickly as the first, whatever technique he had been about to unleash receding into his body at he expired.

"Now then," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses slightly, "I better make this quick."

Two minutes later, the ninja guarding the warehouse were shocked when the door to the storage room was shattered and the gray-haired medic-nin was thrown out of the room. There was a kunai lodged in his stomach and blood was leaking from his lips.

"En- enemy," he gasped, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. An explosion rocked the storage room a moment later.

* * *

-Shinobi District-

"What are you?" the Yondaime asked, staring at the rasengan-tipped tails. "No jinchuuriki has that level of control over the chakra of the tailed beasts, especially not so young."

"Is that so?" Kuushou said, taking a step forward. His vicious grin widened even further when he noticed the Yondaime tense. "Then I suppose you have nothing to worry about."

One of the tails lanced forward, crossing the short distance between them in a heartbeat. The rasengan at the tip of the tail was met by one in the Yondaime's hand, the two techniques grinding against one another with a horrible screeching noise. After a moment spent locked in a stalemate, the rasengan deflected off of each other and the tail shot past the Yondaime.

The man was no fool, however, and he sprang away even as Kuushou pulled the tail back in an attempt to catch him off guard.

"So that's what happens when two rasengan meet," Kuushou said musingly. "Good to know."

"Kukuku...," the Yondaime chuckled, "what a fascinating thing you are. Perhaps I was wrong to dismiss jinchuuriki so easily. It would seem that the rasengan is not the best option to fight you, so I wonder how you will handle this?"

The Yondaime allowed the rasengan he held to dissipate and brought his hands together before forming an astonishingly rapid sequence of seals. He then thrust his hands forward, not even bothering to state the name of the jutsu he was using.

Kuushou wrapped his tails around his body as he noticed the slight shimmer in the air, the telltale sign of a powerful wind jutsu being used. He felt the leading edge of a massive blade of wind slicing into his youki a moment later. The attack didn't reach his body, but it penetrated his youki barrier far more than he would have liked. The outer edges of the blade of wind hit the wall of earth behind him, creating a gap in the wall that slowly sealed back up.

"Interesting..., the chakra you are using is far denser than human chakra, and you seem to be under no discernible strain while using it. How long can you keep that up, I wonder?"

His hands blurred once again, then slapped the ground. There was a small tremble, but nothing happened beyond that. "And the other one can suppress earth jutsu, to a point."

Kuushou frowned. Whatever this thing really was, it didn't seem at all concerned about its situation. The way it was acting now was like a curious child playing with a new toy.

Three of his tails snapped forward, the rasengan at their tips aiming unerringly for the other ninja. The Yondaime chuckled as he reformed two rasengan and began intercepting the tails. Each of Kuushou's attacks was met unerringly by the Yondaime's hands, the rasengan deflecting off of one another and the Yondaime dancing out of range a moment later.

"What else should I try?" the man mused to himself. One of the tails broke through his guard, taking out his left hip and the attached leg in another shower of dirt and ash, but he didn't seem to care. He used his remaining leg ably as his hands continued to deflect and the missing limb reformed quickly.

"Ah, I know," he said suddenly, and suddenly one of his hands lashed out, the palm pointed straight at Kuushou.

This much more concentrated attack proved disturbingly effective, Kuushou noted, as it pierced the six tails he had guarding his form and dug into his shoulder. The damage to his body was minimal and quickly healed, but it seemed that the amount of youki he was using externally was not going to be sufficient for this level of battle.

"Not so effective there, is it?" the Yondaime asked mockingly.

"No, I suppose it's not. I'll have to look into that," Kuushou replied. "Thanks for the tip."

He didn't give the other ninja any more time for his experiments as he lashed out with all nine of his tails and began moving his body as well. The ninja managed to deflect three tails before the others began carving through the ash that passed for his body. A moment later, a black rod emerged from within the rapidly dissolving Yondaime and clattered to the ground.

Kuushou grasped the rod with one of his tails, noting that even now ash was trying to form around it but was burned away by his youki. He pushed his youki inside the object, noting the small fractures throughout; focusing his youki inside the rod, he shattered it into a thousand pieces and the ash stopped. He allowed his tails to recede within his body as he pondered what sort of jutsu had brought back the Yondaime.

Gaara allowed the walls to collapse shortly thereafter. Kuushou noted that the other jinchuuriki's form was dripping with sweat and his face was pale and strained. The Suna genin fell backwards, lying on his back and staring at the sky as he panted in exhaustion. The sand covering the wound on his shoulder seemed to be keeping the wound sealed, for the moment.

Satisfied that Gaara was fine for the moment, Kuushou turned to the handful of powerful Konoha ninja who had shown up during his battle. He noted that the Hokage and the ANBU Commander were present, as well as Kakashi, Gai, and a handful of additional ANBU and jounin.

"Hey, Hokage-jiji!" he said, grinning widely and waving.

He turned to look at Kakashi and Gai as he heard their grunts of surprise and noted that they were staring at his right arm.

"Pretty handy, huh?" he said, gesturing with the not-so-missing limb. He then trudged over and picked up the severed appendage with the chakra limb. The youki poured into the arm and held it in place as the fingers wiggled and the fist clenched. After a moment, the only sign anything was wrong was the section around the elbow that was formed entirely of youki.

Then he groaned. "I did _not _just say that... ugh." He turned to Kakashi, who was still staring at him wide-eyed. "Don't tell Ino about that one, she'd never let me live it down." Kuushou shook his head disgustedly.

"Now then," he continued, looking to the Hokage, "could someone please explain to me why the Fourth Hokage just tried to kill us?"

* * *

-Miles Outside of Konoha-

Orochimaru frowned as he felt the Yondaime's anchor break; that was twice now that the incredibly durable metal had been destroyed. He had expected the tags to last much longer than that, and certainly hadn't expected Konoha to respond nearly as well as they had to the nature of the jutsu. More than anything, it served as an annoying reminder of the difference in quality between the average ninja in Oto and Konoha.

He triggered the fail-safe mechanism on the two remaining anchors, causing them to shatter and completely ruining the sealing arrays inscribed upon them. It wouldn't do for Konoha to get a chance to study his design and devise yet more ways to counter his jutsu. He also sent the signal to the chakra battery teams to withdraw. He had expected that part of the plan to be the weak point, actually, so their survival was something of a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately none of them were useful for anything except their chakra reserves, so it wasn't much of a benefit either.

He stood and stretched, his awareness fully returning to his own body once again, and began contemplating everything he had learned. The first field test of the Impure World Resurrection technique had proven most informative, but it was the final exchange with Konoha's hidden jinchuuriki that intrigued him the most. The degree of control the boy displayed forced Orochimaru to reevaluate some of his previous conclusions concerning the utility of the tailed beasts.

Perhaps securing one for himself, either as a member of his forces or otherwise, would be worth the risk after all.

Still deep in thought, he began his trek to the rendezvous point to meet up with his subordinates. He had performed his part in the plan to perfection, as always, so he would accept no excuses if they failed to accomplish their own tasks.

He allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips. His last present to Konoha should be activating soon – it was a shame he would miss the fireworks.

* * *

-Outside of Konoha-

Itachi leapt through the tree tops, easily keeping pace with the fleeing Oto-nin tunneling under the ground. His first instinct was to use the Rock Crusher jutsu Konoha had developed during the Third War to take out the other ninja while he was underground, but that could damage the scrolls he was carrying. Any other attacks while he was underground also carried that same risk, so he would have to force the Oto-nin back to the surface.

He was also mindful of his limited time to act; the two ninja following him were closing in fast and he didn't want to deal with them at the same time as he was recovering the stolen scrolls.

After a moment, he dropped to the ground and tapped his foot on the dirt beneath him. He used no seals and did not speak the name of the jutsu – he did not consider his skill with a jutsu acceptable until he could perform it near instantly and without any tells. As the jutsu took effect, the Oto-nin found himself surrounded by water that bubbled up from beneath him. The water was not passive, either, as it clung to his frame and slid towards his face.

The Oto-nin burst from the ground a moment later, his hands clawing at the water surrounding his head. His panic faded quickly, however, and he performed a short series of seals that caused the water to drop to the gorund. As soon as the water was clear he sucked in several deep breaths and turned to face his attacker who was standing in the middle of the clearing, watching him calmly.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kidomaru snarled, his hands reaching for kunai. He stiffened as he felt a blade sliding into his back, severing his spine and almost gently piercing his heart. The form of the enemy ninja in front of him burst apart into a murder of crows; he never even sensed the enemy behind him.

Itachi sealed the corpse and everything it carried into another storage scroll, then turned to face the two ninja who would be entering the clearing in just a few moments. They had traveled too quickly for him to evade them entirely, so he would have to take another approach. He slipped his old Konoha headband on and adjusted his stance to a calm but wary posture with his blade held in front of him defensively. A black cloak obscured the civilian clothing he was wearing, but even if that was revealed he was prepared to explain that he had been hidden among the population to pursue any infiltrators.

"Identify yourselves," he said as the two cloaked and disguised ninja landed in front of him.

Their masks were apparently ANBU, or at least ANBU-style, as their voices were distorted. "We are not enemies," the unarmed one responded, making a pacifying motion. "We merely wish to assist Konoha during this crisis in order to build goodwill between ourselves and the village."

"While concealing your identities? You could just as easily be trying to lull us into a false sense of security."

The other ninja nodded calmly. "Possibly, yes. Our actions will show that is not the case, however."

"Why are you out here alone?" the other ninja asked suddenly.

Itachi frowned, a sad expression pulling at his face. "My partner was killed earlier, and I just finished executing the one responsible for his death." His frown deepened when another of his sentries informed him that a Konoha patrol was closing in on their location.

"My condolences," the first ninja said.

"Thank you," he said, his face firming into a stoic mask once again. "While I appreciate your efforts, I must return to Konoha to report to my Commander."

"Of course," came the distorted reply.

"Wait!" the other ninja said. "Do you know what happened inside the stadium? Was it attacked?"

Before Itachi had time to reply, the patrol from Konoha landed in the clearing, the four ninja surrounding the three already within it.

"Identify yourselves!" the leader of the team snapped.

"We are not enemies," the first ninja repeated.

"Prove it!" the leader snapped.

"We are two lilies floating down a river," the first ninja replied, drawing an odd look from the other Konoha ninja.

The leader, however, relaxed marginally and replied, "The waterfall is looming ahead."

"But there are no rocks."

"Alright, you know the proper passcode at least, so I'll take you at your word for now." He turned his attention to the other ninja in the clearing, the one wearing a Konoha headband.

"And who are you?"

"Ieyasu Kunichika, tokubetsu jounin serving under Commander Akimichi."

The Konoha ninja stiffened, all of their attention suddenly focused on him. "That's our unit, and I don't know you."

Itachi cursed mentally. His luck seemed to be turning sour quickly; it was time to leave.

"Wait, what?" came the distorted comment from the first cloaked ninja. "You mean he's _not _a Konoha-nin? Then who the hell did he just kill?"

Before the other ninja could process that statement, Itachi's chakra washed over the clearing, snaring everyone within in a genjutsu. He left in a shunshin a moment later, opting for speed and distance over discretion at this point. He frowned when he felt two signatures following him; he was not moving as fast as he possibly could, but he was still moving fast enough that most ninja should be unable to keep up at all. Sword and Hammer deserved their reputations as S-class ninja, it seemed.

Hammer appeared in front of him, the ninja's hands concealed within their cloak while Sword stopped behind him. He could hear the nearly silent scrape of metal on leather as Sword drew the _nodachi._

"This is not necessary," Itachi said calmly as he turned his body to keep both of them in his line of sight. "Independents should not interfere with one another, especially not for the sake of a Hidden Village."

"Unfortunately for you," Hammer said, "we have a reason to interfere. If you're smart you will surrender now. You are outnumbered and in over your head."

Itachi sighed. "As you wish," he said. He brought his hand up and wiped it over his face in what appeared to be a frustrated gesture. When his hand lowered, his contacts had been removed and his sharingan was activated and spinning madly. Since he was facing two highly skilled opponents and with a strict time limit before even more enemies arrived to join the battle, he would have to strike with overwhelming force.

He launched another genjutsu, this one targeted specifically at Hammer, then moved towards Sword. With their masks completely covering their faces he could not establish the direct eye contact required for sharingan-based genjutsu, but that was far from the limit of his skills.

He saw Sword draw in a sharp breath before he heard the almost whispered, "Itachi." With his sharingan revealed it was inevitable they would recognize him – he was the only Uchiha he knew of outside of Konoha, after all, and that fact alone made him rather famous – but that hardly mattered at the moment. What mattered was the absolute explosion of killing intent he felt from both Sword and Hammer.

His sharingan showed him what would happen before it actually did, but seeing and _understanding _were entirely different things. The streams of chakra that emerged from Sword's form were unlike anything he had ever witnessed and even as he leapt away from what he assumed was an attack his brow furrowed. The only thing even remotely similar to that was Kuushou's youki when he manifested it outside his body, but there were still substantial differences.

Then he saw the chains piercing the ground where he had stood, and the crater that formed when Hammer punched that same spot a moment later – both of those skills were rather unique and informed him of who he was facing.

"Kushina Uzumaki," he intoned, his voice shifting into its normal flat inflection. "I was told that you were dead. And Tsunade Senju," he added, turning his gaze to Hammer. "Interesting."

The chains withdrew from the ground and returned to Kushina where they waved menacingly in the air. Tsunade straightened and cracked her knuckles before saying, "We've been hoping to meet you for _years,_"she said.

"And why is that?" he asked curiously. Kuushou had warned him they would react negatively to his presence, but the Bijuu had neglected to fully explain why.

"You tried to kill my son," Kushina snarled, "so now I'm going to kill you." Her hands tightened on the _nodachi _she wielded, and he could see her chakra flaring wildly as she prepared to move.

It only took him a moment more to connect the dots and understand what was going on. When he next met Kuushou, they would be having _words _about the Bijuu's rather short-sighted plan. He did not relish the thought of two S-class shinobi with a personal vendetta against him, especially for something he had only technically done.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter wraps up the Itachi v. Kushina and Tsunade fight and starts detailing the aftermath. **

**I'm not sure if the inability to see through sufficiently thick chakra is canon or not, but there has to be some limit to the byakugan and that's a fairly common one in fanon. It's also internally consistent, to me at least, as the byakugan sees chakra instead of solid objects and thus sufficiently thick chakra should act much like a sufficiently thick solid object would to normal vision.**

**Expect the next chapter next Saturday.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**

**Revised: 02-12-2012 - Typo (thanks to AngelForm for pointing it out)  
**


	40. Unwelcome Reunions, Part IV

-August 2nd, 347 NE-

-Miles Outside of Konoha-

The _tomoe_ in Itachi's eyes were spinning rapidly as he pushed them to their limit, his sharingan processing every minute twitch and flare of chakra from his opponents.

Kushina form shimmered as the chains, projections of solid chakra – a feat Itachi had never seen performed by anyone other than Kuushou, who used his youki to do so – retracted from the ground. Her body reabsorbed the chakra as she did so, the transition from solid structure to formless energy happening swiftly and efficiently. Itachi could see the chakra she was pushing into her muscles was focused on her legs, back, and arms. She would be charging forward in a moment, prepared to swing her _nodachi _at any of several angles.

Tsunade was slowly straightening from her crouch, the chakra in her body evenly distributed and appearing to be only slightly elevated in concentration. The telltale flares were much smaller, but she would be charging forward slightly after Kushina moved, and their paths would intersect… there.

Itachi moved, simultaneously flinging eight kunai, four from each hand, and layering a triggered genjutsu over the spot both Kushina and Tsunade would be crossing. Kushina swiped her sword through the air, and a thick wave of air knocked all of the kunai aside. She stumbled for a moment as she triggered the genjutsu and found her perception of reality randomly skewed, the ground beneath her feet pitching back and forth while the air slammed against her skin as if she had just rammed into a steel wall.

Tsunade entered the genjutsu a moment later, but it washed over her like she wasn't even there, her chakra expelling the foreign influence the moment it entered her system. A tap from a single finger on Kushina's shoulder broke the genjutsu a moment later, and Kushina recovered and was moving at top speed a breath after that.

Itachi nodded slightly as he leapt backwards and used a ninjutsu that caused the ground where he had been standing and for twenty meters in every direction to turn into quicksand. Kushina moved left, avoiding the trap while slicing the air with her sword. The wave of wind was razor sharp and would likely cut him in two if it connected. Tsunade chose to leap into the air, the arc of her descent placing her roughly two meters from his current position. She would be his target.

Itachi rolled forwards, allowing Kushina's wave of air to pass overhead. When he came up, his right forefinger and thumb were forming a circle around his mouth. He excelled sharply, and the air between him and Tsunade rippled slightly before igniting into a firestorm. The technique would hardly defeat someone of her caliber, but it would obscure his next actions.

Kushina was coming around the edge of the quicksand, her sword already poised for the next swing. His next exhalation ignited the air between them as well, and then he created three clones – one standard illusion clone, one earth clone, and one shadow clone. The clones scattered, the illusion moving towards Kushina, the earth clone towards Tsunade, and the shadow clone retreating. Itachi himself dove forward into the quicksand, submerging without so much as a ripple. Once he was concealed within the chakra-laced terrain, he created four more shadow clones which began to quickly make their way back towards where he had left the Konoha ninja.

A loud crack sounded in the air before the firestorm exploded away from a central point. The shadow clone noted that Tsunade's fist was currently extended and there was an unusually high concentration of chakra in the air around her hand, and concluded that she had created a shockwave of some sort, likely using her infamous strength technique.

Kushina's approach was rather different, as the firestorm spiraled around her sword before she thrust it forward and unleashed the captured flames as a torrent of fire that managed to engulf both the illusion before her and the earth clone near Tsunade.

The illusion was destroyed immediately, but the earth clone weathered the technique and launched itself at Tsunade. She shattered it a moment later with a single punch, the clone nearly exploding with the force of her blow. Kushina was already charging towards the retreating shadow clone, but Tsunade paused, her stance wary.

The shadow clone continued to draw Kushina away, using its active sharingan to dodge the repeated strikes from the enraged kunoichi. The real Itachi, sensing that his opponents were separating, emerged from underground to launch his own attack against Tsunade.

Dozens of earthen spikes thrust upwards, forcing Tsunade to retreat into the air where she was met by a roaring dragon of fire. Her fist lashed out again, but rather than destroying the fire as she had the first time, her blow tore it in half, each half forming into an independent dragon that turned to pursue her as she began her descent to the ground.

The shadow clone, seeing that Tsunade was occupied for the moment, began casting genjutsu after genjutsu at Kushina, hoping to snare her deeply and take her out of the battle. The kunoichi seemed prepared for that tactic this time, quick pulses of chakra dispelling the illusions before they could take root, but the fourth one took longer to dispel, and the fifth was not dispelled at all.

Her chakra began to fluctuate wildly as the genjutsu pulled our her deepest fears and assaulted her consciousness. Her movements became hesitant as her mind tried to reconcile what it knew to be her current situation with the images it was being fed. The shadow clone's eyes narrowed as it noted an odd pattern of chakra within the woman's body, the concentration beginning on the surface of her skin and rippling inwards, then forming on her skin once again. After several more repetitions, the chakra exploded outwards forcefully as Kushina let out a harsh yell.

Even with the sharingan's warning, the chains moved much faster than they had before and the shadow clone was unable to dodge completely as literally hundreds of chains lanced outward in all directions. The clone was struck by no less than four. On his real body the damage would have been relatively minor, but it was enough to dispel the clone.

Itachi's eyes widened as he received the memories from his clone. It would appear that Kushina's weakness to genjutsu was real, but also a double-edged sword. She seemed to enter an almost berserk state rather than succumbing to unconsciousness or catatonia. She was not entirely unaware of the battlefield, however, as none of the chains came close to threatening Tsunade. The initial speed of this version of her chain attack was also much more dangerous, and even if the clone had survived it would have found itself surrounded on all sides. The fact that Kushina did not use that technique for her first attack implied that there was a cost or drawback that was not immediately apparent, however, and that its use now was born of desperation or rage rather than cunning. The cost of using so many projections must be high, but he could see her beginning to retract the chains already.

He returned his focus to his nearer opponent, as Tsunade had managed to effectively counter the fire dragons with an earth dragon of her own, the larger construct methodically snuffing out his own burning creations. Itachi was preparing his next attack when he saw a large section of the dragon breaking off and approaching his position at high speed. The tightly-controlled surge of chakra he felt just prior to that was something he was learning to associate with Tsunade's infamous strength technique.

Rather than dodging, he dove forward and through the chunk of earth, his skill with the Earth Style: Mole technique stretched to its limit as he compensated for the rotation of the rock and its movement relative to his own body. He emerged out of the other side a moment later, coming face to face with Tsunade.

Even masked and cloaked as she was, her shock at his unexpected maneuver was clear. That did not mean her reactions were slow, however, and already her right fist was jabbing forward and her chakra flaring in preparation for a devastating blow.

Itachi turned sideways, letting the fist slide past him. As Tsunade began to react to his dodge, his left hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm outwards. The rest of her body followed the pull and she began applying pressure against him, but his pull suddenly changed to a push and his other hand came up to grip her elbow. A sharp twist later, still following her own body's attempts to resist the initial grab, and Tsunade was spinning through the air.

He released his grip at that point, as Tsunade was already adjusting to his attack, and instead used the opportunity provided by her body's motion to rip the mask from her head and expose her eyes. Frustratingly, but unsurprisingly, her eyes snapped shut faster than he could lock gazes with her and use the sharingan to implant a genjutsu directly. Tsunade somehow managed to get her feet under her, avoiding what would have been a painful landing on her back, and was soon upright.

Itachi quickly moved backwards, avoiding Tsunade's response as chakra rippled down her legs and completely shattered the earth all around her, the ground fracturing and splitting open. She opened her eyes at that point, but she kept her gaze low and still did not meet his gaze directly. The grimace on her face showed her frustration at losing her protection from his sharingan.

A quick glance at the interior of the mask showed Itachi that it was roughly equivalent to ANBU standard issue and thus had no unique value to him, so he simply destroyed it to prevent Tsunade from somehow recovering it.

"Fucking Uchiha," she growled under her breath, her hands clenching as she tried to decide her next move. Behind her, Itachi could see that Kushina was rapidly reabsorbing the swarm of chains she had unleashed and turning in his direction.

He had performed acceptably thus far, but he had expended far more chakra than either of his opponents and would not be able to continue doing so indefinitely. Whether through inclination or strategy, both Tsunade and Kushina seemed to be reserving the majority of their chakra for physical enhancement and highly efficient techniques – in Kushina's case, while it was unclear just how much chakra each individual chain used, it was obvious that she was well-practiced with reabsorbing them. Even with the advantage of the sharingan, he would not fare well in prolonged close combat with either of his opponents singly, and he would undoubtedly lose attempting to face both at once.

Fortunately, the time for combat had passed.

"Uchiha Itachi! In the name of the Third Hokage of Konoha, you are hereby under arrest!" came the sudden cry as eight Konoha ninja sprang into the clearing and surrounded the combatants, weapons drawn and expressions fierce.

"Tch," Tsunade spat, frowning harshly. "Looks like you might survive for a little while after all."

"Indeed," Itachi said, nodding thoughtfully. "Our meeting has proved most illuminating. I hope you understand when I say I hope we do not meet again soon."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed even as Kushina settled into a ready stance a few meters away from her, _nodachi_ held before her with the tip pointing straight at Itachi's heart.

"You intend to resist?" the leader of the Konoha ninja exclaimed. "So be it. Attack!"

With that command, all eight of the ninja began launching kunai and jutsu at Tsunade and Kushina.

"You son of a bitch!" Tsunade yelled as she began frantically dodging the combined attacks of the ninja around her. Kushina said nothing and attempted to charge Itachi, only to be intercepted by four Konoha ninja. For a moment it seemed that she might simply cut her way through them to reach Itachi, but she abruptly turned away with a loud curse and began focusing on fighting her opponents without killing them.

Itachi wasted no more time, pushing his reinforced muscles to the limits as he fled the clearing and sought to put as much ground between himself and the two vengeance-minded kunoichi as possible. With his clones manipulating the real Konoha ninja via genjutsu and supporting them in their efforts, he was confident Tsunade and Kushina would be delayed long enough for him to make his escape.

* * *

-Konoha-

All across Konoha, seemingly innocuous groups of crates, wooden plaques, and even chairs and benches had been carefully moved about and rearranged before and during the chaos that had briefly engulfed Konoha. The numerous teams of ninja sweeping the village for threats paid them no mind, the few capable of recognizing the carefully disguised symbols formed by the new orientation of these everyday items occupied elsewhere with other tasks. Even the Hyuuga with their vaunted bloodline did not immediately recognize the chakra stored within the objects as a threat, as many objects throughout Konoha utilized chakra for many different purposes.

Not all of them had been properly assembled and not all of them had been properly activated... but many had. And, as the timing arrays on each activated and triggered the rest of the sealing array, not all of them exploded with great force...

But many did.

* * *

-Shinobi District-

"Before we get to that, does your arm not need to be tended to?" the Hokage said slowly, his expression looking for all the word like he was sincerely concerned.

Kuushou could see the calculating gleam in the Hokage's eyes, though, and knew that the old man was wondering just how debilitating such an injury was to him and how easily he was able to recover from it.

"Apparently not," Kuushou replied nonchalantly as he began to walk over to Gaara. "I was kinda worried at first, but then my special chakra kicked in and I could use it just like it was my own arm. I can already feel the damaged flesh regenerating, though I can't say how quickly it will heal just yet."

"I see," the Hokage said. "Very well then, I will trust your judgment on the matter for now." He cleared his throat roughly before turning to Dragon. "I believe the situation here is well in hand, please return to scouting the village and taking care of any other threats. Kakashi may remain, as his student is involved."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied as Dragon and the other ninja saluted and leapt away.

"As for your question, Naruto-kun, that was not truly the Fourth Hokage. It was merely a construct with his likeness and abilities, but none of his personality or knowledge."

"Really...," Kuushou said slowly as he began healing Gaara's injury. The red-headed genin had yet to make a single sound of pain or protest, instead merely panting lightly in exhaustion, and he simply nodded in response to Kuushou's ministrations. The damage to his shoulder was mostly superficial and was easily corrected; with that taken care of, Kuushou pulled out some bandages and began wrapping the missing section of his arm to conceal the true extent of the injury. No need to flaunt the use of his youki, after all.

"And how does that work?"

"There is a forbidden jutsu known as the Impure World Resurrection. I will not go into specifics, but it was first developed by our Second Hokage during the First War. It allows the user of the jutsu to control the ninja resurrected remotely, although the range involved in this attack seems to be much greater than what I had believed possible."

Kuushou froze, his thoughts rapidly reviewing the Yondaime's actions during their encounter. "Meaning that everything the fake Fourth Hokage said or did was actually this other ninja?"

"Essentially correct, yes."

That was... not good. He hadn't revealed everything, far from it, but this other ninja now had a more accurate picture of his abilities – and, much worse, his limitations – than anyone else alive.

"Whoever this ninja is figured out my... condition based on my usage of the special chakra," Kuushou said, staring at the Hokage intently. "Do we know who he is, or better yet know _where _he is?"

The Hokage just sighed. "We know who, but not where. The exact details will remain privileged for the time being until Konoha has a chance to formulate our response – it's not something a genin, or even a chuunin, needs to know at the moment."

Kuushou nodded in acceptance, understanding the implicit "later" in the Hokage's words. Further conversation was interrupted as a series of explosions began to ripple across Konoha, striking seemingly at random all over the village.

"Kami, what is it now?" the Hokage growled. "Kakashi, get them to emergency shelter twelve, then report to Shikaku immediately."

"Understood, Hokage-sama!" Kakashi said quickly. Kuushou did not resist as Kakashi grabbed both him and Gaara and pulled them into a shunshin. Kakashi pushed them into the shelter roughly a minute later and left quickly, though not before threatening to have yet another long talk about risk assessment and not charging headlong into battle.

Kankuro and Temari immediately swooped down on Gaara, pestering him about his already healed injury while shooting slight glares at Hinata for some reason. Hinata was staring at him intensely with a nearly blank expression on her face, but his attention was soon pulled to Ino who had walked over and was standing in front of him.

She looked him over critically for a long moment, her eyes lingering on the bandages on his right arm, before she nodded slightly.

Then she punched him in the gut. He folded slightly with the blow, expelling the breath from his lungs, before slowly straightening and eying Ino curiously.

"And what was that for?" he asked.

"For being an idiot, of course," she replied airily, before turning around to face Hinata. "See? I told you he would be fine."

Kuushou turned to face Hinata, but her expression didn't change in spite of Ino's comment. Then he felt something pressing against the bandages wrapped around his missing elbow, and looked down to see Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, poking him with a curious expression on her face.

"Nee-chan said your arm got cut off," she said innocently. "Did you stick it back on?"

Kuushou snorted, amused at how accurate her childish summation of events actually was. "Something like that," he said, patting her on the head.

"Hanabi, quit bothering Naruto-san," Hiashi said, motioning his daughter over to him. She huffed indignantly but followed her father's command. Kuushou turned to scan the rest of the shelter, noting that Hisana, Hiashi's wife, was present along with a handful of Branch House Hyuuga. Sasuke and his team was present as well, along with two female Uchiha that he recognized as the other targeted children. None of the members of Team Mikoto were present, as they had been assigned to a different shelter.

"Why?" Hinata asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Kuushou replied curiously.

"Why don't you care about yourself? I'd heard bits and pieces over the years, and I knew that Kakashi kept talking to you about being careful, but I didn't really understand until today. Earlier, you got hit by that lightning attack and were hurt so badly, but you acted like nothing had happened. And now, your arm... it's like it doesn't matter to you."

Hinata's voice was soft and low, but it carried throughout the shelter as an uneasy silence fell upon the assembled group.

Kuushou didn't respond immediately, instead staring at the girl silently as he considered his answer. A flippant reply would not satisfy her, that much was obvious, and her question had clearly sparked interest among the others in the shelter. Even Hanabi appeared to be listening raptly for his response, though he doubted she understood just what her sister was talking about.

"One day, when I was three and a half years old," he began, "I was leaving the library after checking out a few books." He chuckled internally as he heard Hiashi inhale sharply, and half expected the man to stop him from continuing. The Hyuuga clan head said nothing, however, and so he continued.

"Once I was outside, a nice, friendly man approached me and offered to help me carry my books. We walked a few blocks, happily chatting about what I was reading, and then we turned a corner and he stabbed me in the heart."

There were the expected gasps and shocked protestations from Hinata and the other genin in the room, and he turned silently to look at Hiashi. The clan head grimaced, but nodded. "I saw the medical reports," the man told the others. "That did happen."

Kuushou nodded to him, then turned his attention back to Hinata. Her eyes were watering and her hands were covering her mouth as she stared at him, horrified. "It was after that event that I was moved to the Yamanaka household and met Ino-nee-chan. I'm sure you remember _the_ _incident _that happened shortly after that."

All of the adults and the Clan Kids who had been present nodded, though Sakura and the Suna genin looked on in confusion.

"By all rights, I should have been dead before my fourth birthday. Twice over, in fact, and yet here I am. So while I may seem uncaring about personal injury, I have very good reason. I have suffered worse than this and faced death many times before now. _Death _does not scare me."

Hinata was openly crying now, looking like she wished she had never asked her question in the first place. Even Ino looked a bit misty-eyed, though he suspected that was for rather different reasons.

"What _does_ scare me is a threat to my family. If significant personal injury is what it takes to keep them safe, then I will not hesitate to act," he concluded, his voice earnest and with one hand – not-so-coincidentally his recently detached right hand – raised in a clenched fist in front of him. He was pleased to note the awed and respectful expressions from the other ninja in the room, even Hiashi looking impressed with his impromptu speech.

Then Hinata lunged forward and latched onto him, still crying, and some of the other kids apparently took that as a signal to start a group hug. Sakura darted over and clamped her arms around both him and Hinata, then Hisana and Hanabi got into the act. Ino and Temari had gotten mixed in somehow as well, while the other adult ninja and genin, both Konoha and Suna, looked on with varying expressions ranging from sympathetic to amused to jealous.

Kuushou suffered through the sudden embrace gracefully as he savored the irony of using the psychological knowledge and acting skills acquired through his time in Konoha to deceive the ninja of that same village.

And, like all the best lies, it was all both perfectly true and perfectly misleading.

* * *

-2:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

Sarutobi rubbed his hands over his face tiredly before turning to look at the other ninja assembled in his office. Shikaku had a seat that was positioned to the side of the Hokage's desk, while Dragon, Shizune, and Jiraiya stood in front of the desk.

"Shizune, we'll start with you," the Hokage said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. On the ninja side, the latest reports indicate that we have lost three ANBU, two jounin, twelve tokubetsu jounin, and eight chuunin. No genin casualties have been reported thus far. On the civilian side we lost nearly three hundred when the resurrected Nidaime attacked the stadium, and we are still trying to get a tally of losses from the rest of the village. Initial estimates put the total civilian loss at roughly four hundred with over a thousand injured."

The Hokage nodded, and turned to Jiraiya. "What of the Fire Lord and the other nobles?"

Jiraiya snorted. "The Fire Lord complimented us on our swift response to the threat and said that he was pleased that we had protected him and his family so well. We couldn't even hear anything from within the shelter, and he and the other nobles spent the whole time acting like they were at some court function," he added, sounding disgusted. "The Fire Lord did vow to support us as we recover from this 'heinous and cowardly attack' though, which I translate to a lot of pompous speeches and _maybe_ a little money. The other dignitaries who were with us echoed his sentiments."

Shikaku nodded. "That would be normal for him, but it should give the other villages pause and give us a little time to get things straightened out internally."

The Hokage nodded in agreement, then turned to Dragon.

"Initial reports," the ANBU Commander began, "place the enemy assailants into three categories: the first, those involved in the primary attack consisting of the resurrected Hokages and their summoner, Orochimaru – our current assumption is that he is responsible for the modified explosive tags planted throughout Konoha as well; the second, the bandits and thieves we believe to be loosely associated with, or possibly directly employed by, the Eastern Dragons; and the third, other ninja who entered the village seeking to take advantage of the chaos.

"For the first group, we have found evidence that Orochimaru was supported by ninja outside the village, but we have not captured or identified anyone who may be involved. The only positive link we have is the fact that Jirobo, one of the Sound genin, was manipulated by some unknown technique that resembles the Impure World Resurrection in function. We have found no sign of his two teammates.

"For the second group, we have captured fourteen, three of which we believe held positions of leadership and two of which appear to have had limited ninja training. We also killed one hundred seventeen of them, with an additional five deaths due to accidents or friendly fire.

"This group caused significant structural damage throughout the Shinobi District through the use of exploding tags, apparently with the aim of looting any ninja scrolls or equipment they could get their hands on. All of the affected clans and ninja are performing an inventory as we speak, but the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, Nara, and Inuzuka have reported that their compounds were not significantly breached during the assault.

"The Hyuuga compound was protected by the Branch House members assigned to guard it and suffered no damage. We do not have reports from all of the Uchiha clan yet, but there are indications that at least some of the Uchiha residences, particularly apartments, were successfully breached."

Dragon paused, sighing. "I also have a report from the Records Department that indicates that the Secure Archives were breached and a significant portion of the scrolls within were taken... including the Scroll of Forbidden Seals."

"What?" the Hokage hissed. "How did that happen?"

"We are still trying to determine that, Hokage-sama, but it appears that two assailants infiltrated the building and assassinated the guards within. From what we can tell they made it most of the way to their goal before anyone noticed them, at which point they eliminated the rest of the Konoha ninja and destroyed the barrier protecting the Secure Archives."

"It would take more than exploding tags to get through that thing," Jiraiya pointed out, his face grim. "Both Minato and I added our own protections to it over the years."

"I agree, Jiraiya-sama," Dragon replied. "Nonetheless the barrier was down and the anchor seals cracked beyond repair when we arrived."

"The anchor seals were _cracked_?" Jiraiya stressed, looking thoughtful. "That means they added a seal that created a feedback loop and overloaded the whole thing. Not that hard to do, normally, but I _know _that barrier had a ridiculous number of buffers and vents to prevent exactly that sort of attack. Which means...,"

"An inside job," Shikaku concluded grimly. "Someone had to have time to study the barrier extensively and figure out exactly how and where to break it, as well as account for routine adjustments made over the years."

Dragon nodded. "That was our conclusion as well, given how easily the enemy infiltrated the building."

"It's a little worse than that," Jiraiya pointed out. "They'd have to have time to study the barrier, sure, but they also have to have enough skill to know where to place the new seals to keep the whole thing from blowing up in their face. So we're dealing with someone who has, at minimum, a solid foundation in fuinjutsu, the patience to infiltrate Konoha to study the seal, and a willingness to do anything to acquire forbidden jutsu. Sound familiar?"

"Orochimaru," the Hokage snarled. "So that was his goal. Do we have any other information regarding the Forbidden Scroll, Dragon?"

"Nothing for certain yet, Hokage-sama. However, there may be a connection with someone in the third group that we haven't uncovered yet."

"Very well, tell me about the third group then."

"A small number of skilled missing-nin were found within Konoha once Orochimaru began his attack. So far we only know the exact mission of one of them, the A-rank missing-nin from Kumo who attempted to assassinate Gaara and who was in turn killed by Team Kakashi and Team Baki in a coordinated counter-attack. We captured three other missing-nin, two B-rank and one AA-rank, and have turned them over to Ibiki-san for interrogation. Five others were killed when they resisted capture, four more B-rank and one A-rank."

Dragon paused and cleared his throat roughly before he continued.

"We also have a report from Team Haruo, who were sweeping outside of Konoha during the attack. According to the report, they stumbled across three S-rank ninja, one of whom was disguised as a Konoha-nin. Two of them were dressed in ANBU-style uniforms – though without any visible markings of village affiliation – and have been positively identified as the independent contractors known as Sword and Hammer. They were also in possession of a valid Konoha passcode that identified them as friendlies, and gave the code upon request."

Jiraiya spoke up at this point. "I have contact with them on occasion, and they were in fact responsible for providing some of my intelligence prior to the Chuunin Exams. They got the code from me."

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama, for clearing that up."

"Who was the other ninja, the one disguised as a Konoha-nin?" the Hokage asked.

"Itachi Uchiha," Dragon said uncomfortably. Despite the Hokage's reassurances, Dragon still felt responsible for recommending the young man for ANBU and failing to prevent his eventual defection.

"What was he doing?" the Hokage asked, his voice insistent. The Hokage's expression was grave, and Jiraiya's mirrored it. Shizune looked pensive, but Shikaku seemed oddly thoughtful as he listened to the report.

"Team Haruo had very limited interaction with him, but from the small bit they overheard of his discussion with Sword and Hammer, he had apparently just killed an unidentified ninja. When they discovered his deception, he hit them with a genjutsu and fled. Sword and Hammer broke the genjutsu first and pursued him by themselves, but were ultimately unsuccessful in capturing or defeating him. Itachi also used genjutsu to manipulate Team Haruo into attacking Sword and Hammer in the mistaken belief that they were Itachi. Team Haruo suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries during the brief battle that ensued, and report that Sword and Hammer provided basic treatment before retreating."

"Have you had _any _success in tracing Itachi's movements?" the Hokage asked.

"No, Hokage-sama," Dragon replied succinctly. "The first and only positive sighting occurs well outside of the village, and it does not appear that Sword and Hammer knew who they were talking to at first. Team Haruo only made the positive identification after they observed his activated sharingan."

Shikaku spoke up next. "Itachi served under you for several years, Dragon. In your opinion, why would he risk returning to Konoha?"

"I can not say for certain, Shikaku-sama, but in my experience Itachi weighs and measures his every action against his ultimate goal. Whatever that may have been in this case, I see no reason to assume that he did not succeed in achieving what he set out to do."

* * *

**A/N: I _almost _jumped ahead in time to show where Itachi went, but I'll stick with chronological order for now.**

**Hopefully the Itachi v. Kushina and Tsunade fight was good. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out, especially since it covers a time frame of about thirty seconds. That, by the way, is how I envision most high level fights going - a series of attacks, counter-attacks, and counter-counter-attacks, with each side using techniques and chakra very deliberately.  
**

**It looks like two more chapters to deal with the aftermath, including perspectives from the various enemies involved.  
**

**Next chapter should be next Saturday.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	41. Long Time Coming

-August 3rd, 347 NE-

-8:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Sakamoto-jounin? While it could be very beneficial for Konoha, the risk to yourself is... considerable."

"I am, Hokage-sama. I feel that this is the best way forward for Suna. If we can not solve the problem on our own, I fear that the village will not long survive regardless of the short-term outcome."

Sarutobi just stared at the Suna jounin silently, as if weighing his words and intentions on some internal scale. At length, he nodded slowly. He picked up a scroll off of his desk and handed it to the jounin. "I wish you well, Sakamoto-jounin, for the sake of your village and my own."

Baki bowed low.

* * *

-August 3rd, 347 NE-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Kuushou watched Ino pace back and forth, her feet barely ruffling the fur on his mental form as she moved. At Ino's insistence, they had once again retreated to their "private" training ground and entered his mindscape for their discussion.

"I hate feeling like that," she began, her frustration clear in her voice. "I've busted my ass for years, but I still can't keep up with you when it comes to the real fights."

"To be fair, Ino, it _was _the Fourth Hokage... sort of," he amended ruefully. "It's hardly damning that you would have been outclassed in that situation."

"You didn't know that until you actually ran into him," she yelled, whirling to face him. "You wanted me in the shelter from the start!"

"You were being targeted for kidnapping," Kuushou pointed out.

"So were you!"

"That's hardly the same situation," he replied reasonably.

"Which is my fucking point!" Ino growled. "I'm not going to sit on the sidelines whenever you end up facing the more powerful ninja out there. I need to get stronger! What happened to the modifications you were going to do?"

Kuushou sighed, his breath ruffling Ino's clothing and hair as it washed over her. "There are some things I can do, but I don't think it will even be as strong as what I've done to my own body. And, as evidenced by my recently unattached arm, that's not going to be enough."

Ino let out a wordless yell of annoyance and resumed her pacing.

"However," Kuushou said, a sly note creeping into his voice, "it turns out that there may be an entirely different avenue to explore."

Ino paused, turning back to face him again. "Spill," she ordered impatiently.

"The Hokage shared a rather interesting tidbit of information in our last meeting," Kuushou started, "regarding Jiraiya's relationship with the Outlings."

"What does this-," Ino interrupted.

"Patience, sister, I'm getting there. As I've explained before, the Outlings were bound as part of their punishment to never share any information about the realms with anyone else. As intended, this crippled their recovery and prevented them from getting help from the human realm – for a while, anyway. It seems they've gotten rather clever, however, and they've managed to find a loophole: Jiraiya."

Ino frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

"The Outlings – the Toads specifically, obviously – told Jiraiya about the various realms and Jiraiya in turn told the Hokage. As the contract has not been broken – believe me, Jiraiya and Sarutobi would both know if it had been – that means the Toads did not violate its terms when they told him, and that Jiraiya in turn did not violate the terms when he told Sarutobi. Then there's the fact that the reason Jiraiya started training me is because he was given an offer to join the Toads permanently."

"'Permanently' meaning... he becomes one of them?"

"They've already started to change him," Kuushou said, grinning. "He had to have been considered an Outling when they told him, and yet _not _considered an Outling when he told Sarutobi. I haven't figured out how exactly they have accomplished that, though. I also wonder if he realizes just what they've been doing to him."

Ino grimaced. "Does that mean they can tell him about the Bijuu?"

"No. They are bound to not interfere in the affairs of the Bijuu of their own volition, which encompasses a great deal more than simply not allowing them to share a specific type of knowledge with non-Outlings. Telling Jiraiya what they know about the Bijuu, even when he qualifies as an Outling, would invariably disrupt my own plans and they know it. Knowledge of the realms, on the other hand, is fair game."

"Alright...," Ino said slowly, absorbing what Kuushou had said. "I still don't see what this has to do with me, though."

"Really? I thought it would be obvious. For Jiraiya to permanently join the Toads, he has to actually _become _an Outling, with all that entails. And if they can do it...,"

Ino's eyes widened. "So can you," she finished. "What do I need to do?" she asked eagerly.

"That's the catch," Kuushou said ruefully. "I don't know. That's yet another reason I need to find Kounori."

Ino frowned, the expression just barely managing to avoid becoming an outright pout. "Wasn't she sealed in the old Mizukage that disappeared? How are you going to find her?"

"Something tells me that Kounori is going to end up finding me instead. Still, in the meantime, I can see about giving you some physical enhancements."

* * *

-August 4th, 347 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Konoha Mission Room-

The Mission Room, as one of the larger rooms in the Hokage Tower, was traditionally used for the post-Chuunin Exams promotion ceremony. All day-to-day activities were temporarily moved to other rooms for the morning, and all of the teams who had participated in the latest Chuunin Exams were gathered together, along with any interested observers.

The crowd this year actually completely filled the room and spilled out into the hallway as families, teachers, friends, and simply curious ninja all wanted to be there to see who had impressed the judges enough to merit a promotion from among a very promising group.

There were a couple of somber moments, especially as the attendees were reminded that a few Konoha teams had perished within the Forbidden Forest along with several teams from other villages. The jounin-senseis for those teams were in attendance, their expressions grim as they accepted murmured condolences from their colleagues.

"Thank you all for joining us," the Hokage called out to the assembled crowd. "Despite the unfortunate losses we suffered during the Second Phase and the attack launched against our village during the Third Phase, Konoha remains strong and has reminded the world why we are the most powerful village in the Elemental Nations. The pain of our losses will never entirely disappear, but for today let us focus on the brighter future ahead of us, embodied in those being recognized today.

"Those with the rank of chuunin form the backbone of Konoha's forces. Each chuunin is expected to handle a wide variety of missions in a wide variety of situations. They need the physical prowess to conquer their foes, the mental agility to see through deception, and the emotional fortitude to carry on even when the situation seems grim. They are expected to both follow and lead, to work alone and in groups, and to complete missions both on and off the field of battle.

"The Chuunin Exams are not the sole factor when deciding to promote a genin, but they do reveal facets of a ninja's skill or personality that is not always obvious elsewhere. _Winning _the exams is ultimately the least important factor that we evaluate, for as every ninja in this room can attest, we learn far more from our failures than from our successes.

"Now, without further ado, I will announce the genin who have earned a promotion to the rank of Chuunin, beginning with those recently promoted prior to the exams."

The Hokage began reading off names from a scroll, acknowledging each ninja in turn. Each of the names he mentioned were already wearing their chuunin flak vests, and a few were actually out on missions at the moment. Eventually, he paused and cleared his throat.

"Now we come to our most recent promotions, those who so ably represented Konoha by publicly competing against ninja from other villages: Higurashi, Tenten; Hyuuga, Hinata; Hyuuga, Neji; Nara, Shikamaru; Rock, Lee; Yamanaka, Ino; and Yamanaka, Naruto."

Clapping filled the room and spread out into the hallway, some of the crowd already discussing how rare it was for an entire team to be promoted at the same time, and two of them at that. Others were wondering what the Nara had done in the earlier parts of the exam to merit his promotion, as his team had not made it to the finals.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as Kiba and Chouji slapped him on the back. He turned to eye his jounin-sensei suspiciously.

"Oh, no," Mikoto responded smugly, just short of outright laughing at his annoyance, "this was all you. Your plans in the first and second phases impressed a lot of people once word got around, and your performance in the prelims wasn't anything to sneeze at either. Who'd have thought a Nara could be an overachiever?"

She really did start laughing when she took in the disturbed expression on his face.

"Why did no one on Team Kurenai make it?" Shikamaru asked, trying to change the topic.

Mikoto stifled her laughter before answering his question. "From what Kurenai told me, it ultimately came down to their mission record – they just didn't have enough experience and none of them had a standout performance to give them the extra boost needed."

* * *

-August 4th, 347 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Outside of Konoha-

"I trust there's a reason you are dragging me out here?" Kuushou said blandly as he followed Jiraiya through the forest outside of Konoha. The man had insisted that their next training session had to take place out here rather than in the training ground they had previously used.

"Trust me, kid, you don't want to miss this one," Jiraiya said, his voice unusually somber.

Kuushou assumed that their trip outside of Konoha had something to do with the two chakra signatures he felt waiting up ahead. Both were unusually strong, and there was something vaguely familiar about them, especially when he felt them together. He kept his response to Jiraiya to a shrug, however, and followed in silence for the rest of the trip.

They finally reached their destination, a small clearing several miles outside of Konoha and deep in one of the thicker parts of the forest. The two signatures he felt turned out to be two ninja wearing ANBU-style gear, one with a large sword strapped across their back. Their masks were completely blank and they wore no visible symbols showing their affiliation to a village.

Kuushou felt the unknown ninjas' chakra begin to fluctuate slightly, a sign of their agitation, although the one with the sword was much more uneasy than the other. It didn't seem like they were about to attack him, though.

"And they would be...?" Kuushou asked, nodding his head towards the cloaked figures.

The one with the sword was visibly fidgeting at this point, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot and making odd gestures with their hands.

Jiraiya cleared his throat roughly. "I'll give you guys some privacy," he said, looking more uncomfortable than Kuushou had even seen him. The unarmed ninja patted the other one on the shoulder, then followed Jiraiya out of the clearing. The remaining ninja seemed to get even more nervous, then slowly lifted a hand and removed the ANBU mask and swept back the hood of their cloak.

The first thing he noticed was the long red hair that spilled out in vibrant waves, then the shining blue eyes that were currently welling with tears. Once he got a clear look at her face he finally recognized who this was. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open slightly – Kushina Uzumaki, the container's mother, was the last person he had expected to meet today.

"H-hello, Naruto," the woman said, her voice trembling. "You probably don't remember me, but-" her voice broke, but she drew in a deep breath and visibly steeled herself. "I'm-"

"My mother," Kuushou interrupted, his mind whirling.

Kushina's eyes widened slightly, then she blurred across the clearing and latched onto him, pulling him into a strong embrace as she began sobbing uncontrollably. This seemed to be happening to him rather often lately.

He brought his arms up and returned the embrace, just letting the woman cry as he considered how this would change things. Her devotion to her son had clearly not waned in the intervening years, so she would likely make a staunch ally. If the feeling of her chakra was any indication, she had also grown considerably more powerful since she fled Konoha. Her traveling companion must be Tsunade, which would be another valuable ally in his corner.

As long as they _never _found out who he really was, of course.

Kushina seemed to be calming down a little, though she had not relaxed her grip on him in the least. Kuushou placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her back slightly, enough that he could get a clear view of her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was streaked with tears, but her expression was beaming.

"Yes, Naruto-kun," she said, the first words she'd managed to get out since she had latched onto him. "I'm your mother."

"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice neutral. "Why did you leave me?"

"No!" Kushina exclaimed. "No, Naruto, I would never, ever willingly leave you. You were taken from me." Her expression darkened for a moment, and there was a spike of killing intent that momentarily filled the clearing. Kuushou was rather impressed – that felt almost entirely reflexive, but still put most of the killing intent he'd encountered from other ninja to shame.

"Who took me away from you?" he asked. He already knew the answer – he _had _been there, after all – but it would be enlightening to hear what she had to say.

"Sarutobi," she said, visibly struggling to keep the venom out of her voice and not entirely succeeding. "But that doesn't matter right now," she continued, her expression smoothing as she cupped his cheek, a sense of wonder stealing over her face, "because I finally get to see you again." She pulled him back into an embrace, and he could feel more tears running down her face and falling onto his shoulder and neck.

Kuushou waited nearly a minute to allow the woman to calm down again before he said quietly, "He told me that you abandoned me."

Kushina's grip tightened painfully for a moment and her killing intent spiked again, lingering a little longer this time. She slowly relaxed, though he could feel her arms trembling around him. "I would _never _do that," she insisted. "I spent all of my time preparing for the moment I could see you again, and I am so, _so _sorry that it took so long. I missed you _so much_," she said, beginning to break down again.

* * *

Jiraiya watched the long-delayed reunion between mother and son from a comfortable distance, stoically ignoring the slight burning sensation in his eyes. The pollen was pretty bad in this section of the forest, it seemed.

"So I hear you two fought Itachi Uchiha," he said, turning his gaze to Tsunade. She had also removed her mask and was currently smiling wistfully and wiping her eyes as she watched the reunion. She sighed softly before turning and facing him, her expression hardening.

"Yeah, we did," she replied, scowling. "Bastard tricked the patrol we had encountered into attacking us and ran away. We would have had him if not for that."

"And if that patrol hadn't shown up in the first place? I heard he had disguised himself as a Konoha-nin while talking to you two."

Tsunade grimaced. "We'd have never known it was him," she confessed through gritted teeth.

Jiraiya didn't comment on that further, knowing better than to pursue what was obviously a sore subject for the med-nin. "Any idea what he was doing?" he asked instead.

"He was chasing at least two ninja, possibly more. We found signs that at least one ninja had died and been sealed away, and he had killed another shortly after we caught up with him the first time."

Jiraiya sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Shit."

"Do you know who he killed?"

"Not specifically, no, but I've got a pretty good idea of _why _he killed them. None of the kidnapping attempts worked out, but I'm half-convinced they were never meant to, because someone managed to break into the Secure Archives and steal the Scroll of Forbidden Seals along with a lot of sensitive information about Konoha's forces."

"And you think he was responsible?"

"He was either part of it or took advantage of it. He did have access to that area as well as the ANBU Archives, so he would have a general idea of where to find whatever he was looking for."

"... what's he going to do with that?"

"Fuck if I know," Jiraiya replied bitterly. "This is the first time he's shown his face since he went missing. I've got _nothing _on what he's been up to for the last five years. Whatever it is can't be good for Konoha, though."

Tsunade blinked. "Nothing? What happened to that vaunted spy network of yours?"

"Hey! My network does just fine, thank you. Whatever Itachi has been doing, it's either been very low key or he's managed to disguise himself well enough to fool everyone." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Given that he got this close to Konoha and only managed to be spotted through what amounts to sheer dumb luck, it may be the latter."

* * *

Kushina had finally calmed down again and they had spent nearly an hour just talking about their respective lives. The woman seemed to take inordinate satisfaction from asking him the most inane details, like what his favorite color was or what books he had read recently. Their conversation was interrupted when Tsunade entered the clearing, though there was still no sign of Jiraiya.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Tsunade said. She seemed much more composed than Kushina had been, but he noticed that she had been crying a little as well.

"Hello, Tsunade-sama," he replied. He really hoped she wasn't about to repeat Kushina's earlier actions.

"I hear you've been training under my former apprentice," the med-nin observed idly.

"Indeed I have. Shizune-nee-chan is remarkably skilled and has been an excellent teacher."

"Glad to hear it. I'll have to test you myself at some point, when we get the chance."

"I look forward to it."

"Unfortunately, we need to get going," Tsunade said. Kuushou immediately felt Kushina's arms tighten around him.

"Is it time already?" the red-headed woman asked plaintively.

"We're already pushing it as it is," Tsunade replied. "We can't afford to get caught near Konoha."

Kushina looked unhappy, but nodded in acceptance.

Tsunade moved closer, pulling out a small scroll from inside her cloak. "I've got a gift for you," she said. "It's something you should have gotten a long time ago. Only open this when you are alone and _completely _certain no one will interrupt you."

"What is it?"

"Complicated," the woman replied as she handed it over, "and not something I want to explain out here. There is a letter inside that will tell you everything you need to know."

She then joined the embrace, her arms wrapping around both himself and Kushina. "We need to go now," she said, "but we _will _see you again, soon."

It took a few more minutes before Kushina managed to tear herself away, but eventually the two of them left, giving further assurances that they would meet again.

Once they had gone Jiraiya entered the clearing, smiling widely. "Told you you wouldn't want to miss this one."

Kuushou nodded thoughtfully, absently patting the scroll he had placed in one of his pockets.

* * *

-August 5th, 347 NE-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

"So what was in the scroll?" Ino asked. They were once again in their private training ground, though this time they didn't enter his mindscape. She'd just gotten the details of Kuushou's unexpected reunion with his "mother" from him.

"I haven't actually opened it yet," he replied. "I was waiting until we got out here."

"Well hurry up then!" Ino urged.

Smirking, Kuushou channeled a bit of chakra into the storage seal. With a small puff of smoke, another scroll and two vials filled with blood popped out. He deftly snagged the vials before they could fall to the ground, eying them curiously. Each of the vials had stasis and preservation seals etched into them, but they were not labeled; given that, he assumed each vial held the same thing.

"Well," Ino said flatly. "That's a little creepy."

Kuushou just shrugged, placing the vials on the ground and opening the letter.

_Dear Naruto,_

_I don't know how much Kushina managed to tell you or how much you already know about the circumstances surrounding your birth, so I will start from the beginning._

_The first thing you need to know is the identity of your father: Minato Namikaze. Jiraiya tells me that the Hokage has kept that knowledge from you due to a combination of politics and security concerns, but I don't care about any of that. You _should _have known who your parents were, both of them, from the very beginning._

_So yes, your father was the Fourth Hokage and the man who sealed the tailed beast into you at the cost of his own life. Do with that knowledge whatever you wish._

_What you need to know, however, is that the night you were born, you were taken from Kushina without her permission as the sacrifice to seal the tailed beast approaching Konoha. Minato stole you from Kushina and, despite my respect for the man, I will never forgive him for that. That act ultimately resulted in the situation that forced me to flee from Konoha with your mother in order to save her life._

_At first, you were returned to Kushina, healthy and safe, and she seemed on the path to recovery. After the way you came to be a jinchuuriki, Kushina was – justifiably, in my opinion – rather paranoid about your safety and well-being, but both myself and Shizune were helping her through her issues. Then a certain idiot on the civilian part of the Council proposed that you be executed for the safety and well-being of Konoha, and Kushina heard about it._

_That shattered what little trust she had left in the village, and she attempted to flee in the middle of the night. The Hokage stopped her, forcefully, and took you away from her. When she awoke – restrained, imprisoned, and with no knowledge of your whereabouts – she panicked and lashed out at her captors. Unfortunately for her she was in ANBU HQ, and thus had attacked Konoha ninja._

_The Hokage, despite knowing that the entire situation was largely his fault and that of his predecessor, insisted that you would not be returned to Kushina's custody. I believed then and still believe even now that if I had allowed that situation to continue, Kushina would have ultimately died in prison without ever seeing you again._

_I have lost far too many people in my life to sit idly by while that happened, so I smuggled Kushina out of Konoha. The Hokage had hidden you away somewhere and it was not possible for me to rescue both yourself and Kushina. If you feel any anger or resentment that you did not have your mother in your life, direct it at myself and the Hokage. Our decisions, both good and bad, were ultimately responsible for your separation. _

_If you do not with to speak to me again, knowing this, I will understand. I do not regret my actions, however, and earnestly believe that your recent reunion with your mother would not have been possible without my intervention._

_There is one other aspect to our departure from Konoha, however, that you need to know, which brings us to the two vials that were also sealed within the scroll I gave you. Your father owned a small house in the Shinobi District of Konoha, a house that contains his personal library and workshop. Inside those vials is the blood needed to deactivate the security for the compound. Outlined at the end of this letter are the steps required to access the house as well as the steps to change the security to respond to your own blood. I understand that you have been studying fuinjutsu, so I trust that you will know what to do with the information provided._

_Love,_

_Tsunade Senju_

Kuushou scanned the rest of the letter, noting that the majority of the instructions were dedicated to the long and convoluted process of deactivating and restarting the central command seal. The second vial of blood would be used there, but unlike the gate, the blood had to be placed in specific places in a certain sequence.

"Wow," Ino said as she finished reading the letter. "I'd never heard about any of that."

"She's telling the truth, as far as I can tell. What she wrote in the letter matches with what I remember, as well as explaining some of the odder things that people said around me at the time."

"The way she describes the Hokage, he seems...,"

"Like a ruthless bastard?"

Ino grimaced. "Yeah."

"The man has absolute control of the strongest ninja village in the world, and has for most of his life - I'd be more surprised if he wasn't."

Kuushou picked up one of the vials, shaking it curiously and watching the blood slosh around. Though she hadn't specified in the letter, he knew this had to be Tsunade's blood; if the seals were had been tied to Kushina's blood, his own blood would have sufficed to get him through the outer gate of the Namikaze Compound.

Ino suddenly started laughing as she stared at the vial in his hand. "You know what this means?" she asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling.

Kuushou just nodded, a matching grin on his face.

"Hiraishin," they said together.

* * *

-August 6th, 347 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Sunagakure, Council Chambers-

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Suna Council, I have come before you today to inform you of a grave situation that threatens to destroy our village," Baki intoned as he stood before Suna's ruling body. The circular room was divided into three tiers: the lowest, with a bare stone floor, was where petitioners and anyone not actually part of the council stood when addressed them; the middle, where the councilors were seated at long tables that circled the room, and the upper, where the Kazekage sat.

"What situation would that be, Sakamoto-jounin?" one of the councilors asked.

"Because of this village's recent actions, one of our major trading partners has threatened to end all relations with our village and forbid our ninja from entering their territory unless we agree to their terms."

"What nonsense is this?" the Kazekage growled. "Who would dare threaten Suna in this manner? And why are we hearing about this from you, Sakamoto-jounin, instead of one of our diplomats?"

"Konoha would dare," Baki said clearly, locking gazes with the Kazekage.

Silence descended over the chamber. Konoha was their only ally among the Five Great Ninja Villages, and they controlled the majority of the land-based trading routes in the Elemental Nations. Losing access to those routes and the clients they brought would bring the financially unstable village to its knees, and that was only if Konoha didn't decide to escalate into all out war. Baki wasn't exaggerating in the least when he said that this could destroy their village.

"What...," one of the councilors began, before he stopped and cleared his throat roughly, "what are they claiming we have done?"

"They have evidence that the Kazekage ordered the assassination of numerous Konoha ninja," Baki replied, never taking his eyes off of the Kazekage.

The room erupted into pandemonium, councilors shouting at Baki, at the Kazekage, and at each other. There was a definite undercurrent of fear in their voices, however, and the majority seemed to be in favor of giving Konoha whatever it was they wanted.

Throughout it all, Baki and the Kazekage never broke their stare.

Eventually, the Kazekage began to release his killing intent, quelling the chaos in the room and cutting through the din. "Silence," he said, his voice carrying throughout the room. "ANBU, take Sakamoto-jounin into custody. He has obviously betrayed this village, no doubt bribed by Konoha to sow dissent amongst us."

Two Suna ANBU appeared next to Baki, but he began speaking before they had a chance to remove him from the room. "Konoha asks for the removal of the Kazekage," he barked, making sure everyone in the room could hear him, "nothing more."

"Take him away," the Kazekage snarled.

The ANBU quickly escorted Baki out of the room, but the damage had been done. The councilors were eying each other as if gauging their reactions, and most were giving sidelong glances to the Kazekage.

"This meeting is over!" the Kazekage snapped before marching out of the room.

* * *

-August 7th, 347 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Sunagakure, Sayama Residence-

Temari swallowed nervously as she stared at Kankuro. She was seated on the couch in the living room of their family home, with Kankuro sitting in a chair across from her and Gaara staring out the window nearby.

"Have you heard any news about Baki-sensei?"

"Nothing yet," Kankuro replied somberly. "It sounds harsh, but I'm surprised he wasn't executed on the spot. The scrolls detailing Konoha's offer that Baki-sensei spread throughout the village aren't helping matters any, and it's starting to get pretty ugly out there. Some people want to refuse out of principle, others want to give in immediately, and still others are pushing to open negotiations. The Kazekage is refusing outright, though, and popular opinion is turning against him."

"How bad is it going to get, do you think?"

"If something doesn't change, the fighting will start soon," Kankuro said slowly. "We... may want to think about getting a mission that takes us out of the village."

Left unspoken was the thought of returning to Konoha – the Hokage had made it clear that they would all be welcomed with open arms should they choose to defect, and after the cold reception they had received upon their return to Suna that option was looking rather attractive. They had almost stayed in Konoha after the Exams concluded, but they had ultimately decided to wait, partly out of a desire to support Baki and partly because the timing was so poor with the Kazekage watching their every move.

Kankuro was distracted from his thoughts when Gaara abruptly turned away from the window and began walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm tired of waiting," Gaara replied simply as he walked out the door.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged a quick glance before leaping to their feet and following him.

* * *

**A/N: Took a little longer than normal, as I ended up pushing some of the scenes I had already written into the next chapter. **

**Hopefully the reunion scene hit the right note. Kushina, like canon!Naruto, is a very emotional character, which can be rather difficult to write at times and Kuushou... well, he's a manipulative bastard.**

**Random aside, but does anyone know why the login server at ff dot net has been down so often lately? It hasn't been an issue today, fortunately, but it's been a serious annoyance while trying to post Swapping the Cage.  
**

**The next chapter, the last of Part II, will be up next week. **

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	42. Winners and Losers

-August 7th, 347 NE-

-1:10 PM-

-Suna-

Temari and Kankuro caught up to Gaara quickly, running up to him as he stalked down the street. His movements were far more purposeful and determined than they could ever remember seeing them – always before he had appeared somewhere between bored and tired, and his every action reflected that. That was no longer the case.

The other people who caught sight of him noticed the change as well, but they did not seem to think it was a good thing. They blanched when they spotted him, and many began moving out of the way rapidly, turning down other streets or simply reversing direction altogether. A few even went so far as to break into a run in an effort to get away.

"Gaara!" Temari yelled as she moved ahead of him. "What did you mean you were tired of waiting? Where are you going?" She was also growing rather nervous as an increasing number of ninja, including two ANBU, were paying close attention to their conversation.

Gaara paused, turning to look at his sister curiously. "I'm going to kill the Kazekage," he stated as if he were talking about the weather.

Everyone within hearing distance fell utterly silent and still. Temari swallowed nervously as she felt her brother and herself become the absolute center of attention. She half-expected someone to attack them immediately, but no one had made any threatening movements... yet.

"Gaara," Temari said shakily, "you don't honestly believe you can take him on, do you?"

Gaara didn't answer immediately; instead his eyes went out of focus and stared off into the distance as if in deep thought. Finally, his eyes refocused on her and he replied, "It's only a matter of time before he learns that my seal has been fixed and decides I can no longer be allowed to live. He'll most likely kill you both as well, for allowing it to happen."

Temari just sighed and bowed her head, knowing that he was right. Even with all of the turmoil surrounding Konoha's ultimatum – and that was what it was, regardless of how nicely they phrased it – she had overheard several people mentioning how Gaara had changed. He had yet to kill anyone since his return to the village, for one thing. It wouldn't surprise her if the Kazekage already knew that something significant had happened, and with Baki's "treasonous" actions and the man's disdain for his own children, it was not a stretch at all to believe that their future was grim.

One of the ninja observing them stepped forward slowly, making sure not to appear threatening in any way. "What do you mean, 'fixed his seal'?" he asked intently.

Kankuro's head snapped up, a gleam entering his eye. "We recently discovered that Gaara's seal was intentionally designed to drive him mad," he answered, pitching his voice to carry. "This was done with the Kazekage's knowledge and blessing."

Kankuro paused, looking around at the growing crowd of ninja. "Konoha fixed his seal in a matter of days, and Gaara has not killed a single person since then!" Kankuro announced. "The Kazekage could have done the same at any time, and chose not to!"

There were mutterings among the crowd, some curious, some angry, some disbelieving.

One of the ANBU stepped forward, pulling out a kunai. "Such slander will not be tolerated!" came the distorted announcement. "You are under arr-"

The ANBU stopped, then slowly looked down at the tip of the blade that had emerged from his chest. The crowd watched in stunned silence, the realization that the village – already teetering on the brink of outright civil war – had just received the push needed to end the tenuous peace washing over them like a wave of cold water.

The other ANBU pulled the sword out and ripped off their mask, revealing a middle-aged man with close-cropped black hair and a prominent scar on one cheek. "It's true!" the man announced. "The Kazekage has always considered Gaara – his own _child _– to be nothing more than a weapon!" The sheer revulsion dripping from the man's voice was astonishing. "He was _happy _whenever he heard about Gaara killing someone!"

The angry mutterings grew even stronger.

"The Kazekage does not care about this village!" the unmasked ANBU cried out. "He would see us all dead before he allowed even the tiniest drop of power to slip from his grasp!"

Temari's eyes widened as she saw that the crowd was growing even larger and heard the angry mutterings shifting into roars of agreement.

"I do not fight for the Kazekage! I fight for my family! I fight for my friends! I fight for _Suna_!"

Temari's turned to Kankuro, whose face was set in grim and determined lines. He gave her a dark, humorless smile. "Looks like we won't be taking that mission out of the village after all."

Gaara watched the crowd around them disperse, then resumed his resolute pace towards his destination: the Kazekage Tower near the center of the village.

Temari and Kankuro followed close behind, both of them nervously observing the escalating conflict within their village from afar as the minutes passed. There were many small pockets of fighting throughout the village from what they could tell, but it seemed that the majority of the fighting was moving closer and closer to the tower. They had already run into several areas where jutsu had been used, and had passed two bodies already, the corpses just left where they fell.

Gaara stopped abruptly, his head cocked to the side. Temari stepped around him once again to get a look at his face, only to feel a small chill run down her spine at the manic grin she saw there. His eyes narrowed, and she shivered as she felt a wave of Gaara's chakra rush past. There was something... _more _to it than normal; it was very subtle, and she couldn't quite place what it was even standing this close.

Gaara's grin widened even further as he spoke.

"Perfect."

He turned on his heel, changing directions and moving rapidly. Temari and Kankuro both jumped to follow him, wondering what Gaara was doing and why he was no longer heading towards the center of the fighting where the Kazekage would be.

They got their answer nearly a minute later as Gaara abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and flared his chakra. He was using so much that it actually began pouring off of his body, and Temari noted with concern that his chakra was no longer purely blue, but instead had a definite grayish tinge to it.

Then the ground bucked beneath her feet and she stumbled backwards, nearly knocking over Kankuro as he also struggled to stay upright.

She watched in silence as the ground beneath Gaara split open, revealing what appeared to be an underground tunnel. The tunnel was not unoccupied, and she understood why Gaara had abruptly changed directions when the Kazekage was lifted out, bound securely by a cocoon of dirt and sand.

The Kazekage's expression was furious, and Temari realized with a start that this was the first time she'd seen the Kazekage without his veil in... she couldn't even remember. The side of his head was caked with partially dried blood, indicating that he had already been wounded before Gaara ever got hold of him.

"So this is how it ends," the Kazekage spat, looking disgusted. "Betrayed by my village, betrayed by my ANBU, and betrayed by my own weapon. And all for _Konoha. _Konoha is not going to save you, any of you!"

The last part of the Kazekage's words were directed towards the other people in the area. All around, watching mutely, were ninja of every level and description and even more were showing up every second – even civilians were beginning to gather.

"Konoha will drain this village dry and then toss it aside like garbage! Giving in to them is signing your own death warrant!" the Kazekage cried.

Gaara walked forward slowly, his grin fading into a neutral expression as he stared at the Kazekage. The Kazekage met his gaze with a disgusted glare. He tried to spit in Gaara's face, but a small shield of sand intercepted the projectile.

"End it, weapon," the man sneered. "Become the instrument of this village's destruction. It's the only thing you were ever good for anyway."

Gaara's head turned slightly and his eyes stared off into the distance again. After a moment, he raised his hand and almost gently placed it against the Kazekage's forehead. "We have a gift for you."

There was another flare of chakra.

* * *

The Kazekage stumbled as he found himself standing in his office, the many wounds he had taken fending off his own traitorous ANBU and ninja vanished as if they had never been inflicted. He was standing behind his desk, facing towards the window that looked out over the village.

Something was wrong, though, because the glass in the window was hazy and distorted, and the panes were cracked in places. His eyes narrowed as he studied the cracks; he would swear that they formed a pattern, and some of the shapes within the pattern looked oddly familiar.

His attention was drawn from the window when he felt a surge of chakra behind him. He spun around to find a large ball of golden brown, chakra-like energy suspended in midair the middle of his office. The orb was slowly expanding, wisps of energy curling off of it almost lazily as it did so. Embedded in the surface of the object was some sort of containment seal that seemed to be dissolving.

Deciding this must be a trap of some sort, he moved to leave the office only to find that there was no door; where the door should have been was a wall filled with empty picture frames. He spun around quickly, trying to find any other potential exit, and settled on the window as the best option. He tried to dive through the window only to slam into something that felt like a solid stone wall. He stumbled back, noting that the "cracks" in the glass had flared a bright red that was slowly fading. He turned back to the mass of energy in the middle of his office and found that he was out of time as the last vestiges of the containment seal faded away.

Then his world dissolved into pain.

* * *

The crowd watched silently as Gaara and the Kazekage stood immobile for several seconds, neither so much as twitching. The Kazekage's sudden scream of agony took all of them by surprise. The man continued to scream, a single tortured note as his formed subordinates stood witness. By now it seemed that every ninja in Suna was present, all of them watching the Kazekage's last moments.

Gaara stumbled backwards a moment later, his face pale and his eyes shadowed. Temari and Kankuro reached out to support him, each looping one arm under a shoulder as they helped him remain standing. Both were concerned when they saw his entirely body trembling and felt his muscles clenching as he fought to remain silent.

"What did you do to him?" a ninja asked, stepping forward. His voice was curious rather than angry, and he seemed to approve of Gaara's actions. Temari noted absently that it was the same ANBU who had struck the first blow just a little while ago.

"What... he did... to me," Gaara said, the words coming slowly and through clenched teeth. He turned to look at Temari. "Home," he managed to choke out.

Temari nodded, her eyes burning as she saw the state her brother was in. She and Kankuro hefted him and began the long trek back to their family residence. The crowd parted before them, their gazes drifting from the siblings who were walking away to the Kazekage whose screams were slowly fading as the last of his life left him.

* * *

-August 7th-

-3:00 PM-

-Otafuku-gai-

Three men sat around a small table in a large, dimly lit room.

"We have not heard back from any of the men we sent to Konoha," the first said, his voice tense.

"None of the contractors have reported their success either, not even Sword and Hammer," the second added.

"There are faint rumors that something important was stolen during the Snake's attack, but no one can confirm who or what that might have been."

Their conversation was interrupted when four ninja wearing Konoha headbands surrounded them, all of them bearing drawn blades dripping with blood.

"Guards!" snapped one of the men, leaping to his feet and pulling out a blade of his own from under the table. His companions were similarly quick to respond to the danger, and they stood back to back facing off against their attackers.

"Shinnosuke Yamaguchi. Isamu Sumiyoshi. Akio Inagawa. For crimes against the Hidden Village of Konoha and the Land of Fire, you are hereby under arrest. Surrender immediately," demanded one of the Konoha ninja.

The expressions of the three leaders of the Eastern Dragons turned grim when they heard themselves named and heard no guards coming to their aid.

"It has been an honor," Shinnosuke said to his companions.

"We have lived proud," Isamu contnued.

"And we shall die proud," Akio concluded.

The ninja raised their blades, prepared to take down the criminals who had participated in the recent attack on Konoha. Before they had a chance to move, however, a strange gas filled the room. Everyone within began to sway drunkenly before dropping their blades and collapsing bonelessly to the ground.

A red-headed young man strode into the room, completely unaffected by the gas that still lingered in the air as he surveyed the unconscious forms of the Konoha ninja and the leaders of one of the most successful criminal organizations in the Elemental Nations.

A few hours later, the four Konoha ninja were on their way back to their village to report the failure of their mission; their targets had committed suicide before they could be captured. They did have three heads taken from the corpses to prove that the threat had been neutralized, even if any potential information had been lost. A few hours after that, the Eastern Dragons had a new leader. If that leader often took advice from certain older members of the organization, no one thought anything of it – every good leader had advisers, after all.

* * *

-August 8th, 347 NE-

-1:15 AM-

-Konoha-

Between Kuushou's ability to sense chakra signatures and Ino's own skill at stealth, the pair had no problems making it to the Namikaze compound undetected. Konoha was still in disarray following the attack and the Hokage had yet to reassign any watchers that Kuushou could detect. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity such as this on the off chance that the Hokage would find out.

The gate opened immediately when he poured some of the blood from one of the vials onto the seal, and for the first time in nearly twelve years a living being set foot on the property.

The front door, ironically, was unlocked and opened quickly and easily. The slightly rusted hinges protested the movement, but overall the building was in surprisingly good shape considering that it had not been maintained or even cleaned for over a decade.

They shut the door behind them and relaxed slightly now that they were no longer in the open. Ino looked around curiously, her eyes bright with excitement and a small bounce in her step. They were standing in a foyer that had several doors leading off it as well as a stairway opposite the door that led to the upper level. The foyer had several small tables pushed against the walls, all of them covered with picture frames and various knickknacks.

"This is so awesome," she said. "This place is... is...," she said, her nose twitching before she let out a loud sneeze. "... dusty," she muttered.

"What did you expect?" Kuushou asked.

Ino waved him off, already scanning the building for any sign of useful items. She lingered briefly on the pictures of the Fourth Hokage, noting that while there were no pictures that presented the Yondaime and Kushina Uzumaki as a couple, the red-haired woman did seem to be in the majority of them all the same.

"Hey!" she said suddenly, laughing. She picked up one framed picture off of a table at the side of the room, waving it at Kuushou. "It's mini-Kakashi-sensei!"

Kuushou looked at the picture, noting that Kakashi was easily recognizable in the picture as he wore the same mask and hairstyle. The only difference between then and now, aside from the jounin vest, was that he had both eyes exposed in the picture.

Kuushou snorted and shook his head, amused. "First things first," he said, interrupting Ino's perusal of the other pictures, "we need to update the security seals. Which means we need to head to the basement."

"Age before beauty," Ino said, motioning Kuushou onward.

They ended up having to open all the doors off of the foyer before they found the hallway which had the door to the basement in it. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage closet were every bit as dusty as the foyer. Ino had immediately vetoed the idea of touching anything in the kitchen without some sort of heavy duty cleaning supplies on hand – her personal suggestion was fire.

Ino and Kuushou paused after they opened the door that led to the basement, blinking rapidly. The reason for their hesitation was simple – the walls that lined the stairs down to the basement were glowing.

It took Kuushou several seconds to identify the sealing arrays that were causing that effect, as they had been very skillfully integrated into the patterns adorning the walls. Kuushou found himself growing interested in something beyond the Hiraishin as he took in the elegant simplicity of the design; it appeared that the Fourth Hokage's skill in fuinjutsu had not been exaggerated. These seals had been placed throughout the basement; every section or room they entered was glowing with the same soft lighting the stairway had been.

The room that contained the central security array stood at the far end of the basement, the door sealed by another array. Opening this one took the rest of the blood from the first vial, although simply pouring it on was not sufficient – he had to place the blood on specific points on the door in a certain order before it would open.

Ino was practically vibrating with excitement as the door swung open, and she was already craning her head to look inside. Her expression fell quickly when she finally got a good look.

"That's it?" she asked, her disappointment clear in her tone. "Just a strip of carpet and a stone block?"

"Not... quite," Kuushou said slowly. "Stay on the carpet," he told her as he stepped into the room. His sharp eyes were picking out the markings on the walls, ceiling, and floor, all of them flowing towards the stone that was placed in the middle of the room – or rather, as he discovered when he moved closer, the part of the floor that stuck upwards. It was not a distinct piece of stone but instead looked as if it was a solid rock that had not been carved out along with the rest of the room.

He pulled out the second vial and poured a single drop of blood on the center of the stone. The blood seeped into the stone, vanishing without a trace moments later. After a few seconds, blue lines began to emerge from the stone, tracing patterns along the surface as the flowed down the side of the stone and into the rest of the room. More and more lines began to emerge, lighting up other sections of the sealing array that constituted the Namikaze Compound's security system. Soon the whole room was lit up by hundreds of arrays, large and small, all connected to the stone in the center of the room.

"Now _that_," Ino announced, smiling widely, "is more like it."

Kuushou didn't respond as he was too busy trying to interpret what he was seeing. This was far and away the most complex array he had ever seen, and the design violated _at least _three of the core concepts of fuinjutsu he had been taught – Jiraiya's comments that how he was too rigid in his use of fuinjutsu took on a whole new level of meaning in the light of what he was seeing now.

Still, he would have time to study this later. Right now he had to change the array to recognize his blood instead of Tsunade's. Even with the steps outlined clearly in Tsunade's letter, it still took ten minutes as he disabled certain connections, added drops of his own blood and more of Tsunade's, disabled _other _connections, and on, and on.

Ino watched curiously while he worked, remaining silent so as not to distract him, but he could tell she was eager to move on to the real prize of the night. She was not involved in the process, as they had already agreed that Ino would not be added to the central seal herself – her blood would allow nearly any living Yamanaka access. Once his work was complete, he destroyed the letter and they left the room, closing the door securely behind them.

The Yondaime's workshop was simple to locate, as it was the largest room in the entire basement. Ino immediately let out a shout of triumph when she spotted the small pile of tri-pronged kunai sitting on one table, some with sealing tags already attached, others bare.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Ino shouted, performing an impromptu victory dance as she held one of the kunai in her hand.

"We don't actually know the jutsu yet, you know," Kuushou pointed out, amused.

"Yet!" Ino echoed. "So let's get to it!"

Kuushou grinned and joined her at the table, picking up one of the kunai and examining it closely. Other than the unusual design, there did not appear anything special about the kunai itself, so that should make things simpler. His grin grew wider when he found documents detailing the design of the seal. Even if he didn't fully understand how it worked yet, he could easily reproduce the seals required with that as his base.

That was only part of the jutsu, however, and there wasn't anything at this table describing what to do with the kunai once you had them.

"Naruto?" Ino's voice came from another table. "I think I found what we're looking for."

Kuushou turned to see Ino holding a sheet of paper, reading it intently. On the desk in front of her was an envelope with "To Naruto" written on the front. Next to the envelope was a pile of ashes.

"Did you...," he asked, motioning to the ashes.

"Nope," Ino replied immediately, shaking her head. "It was like that when I found it."

Kuushou hummed thoughtfully as he joined Ino in reading the letter.

_Now, for the jutsu that I promised. I will explain everything that you need to know about them, but I ask that you refrain from attempting to use them until you get permission from your mother or Jiraiya-sensei. They are very complex and careless use could hurt you._

_First, the rasengan..._

Kuushou skimmed that section as he already knew the technique.

_And now we come to the Hiraishin no Jutsu, my Flying Thunder God Technique. This is far more complicated than the rasengan to perform, and consists of two parts._

_First, the technique formula must be present at the destination. I have left detailed instructions on how to write the seal and the various ways it can be applied. I personally used it on kunai so that I could place them anywhere I wished on the battlefield. I have also incorporated the formula into certain objects and locations so that I will always be able to get to them quickly._

_Second, you must perform the jutsu described at the end. It took me nearly a year to master the jutsu such that I could use it without handseals or words, and I would highly advise doing that yourself as quickly as you can manage. The technique's utility in battle is severely limited if you must perform handseals before using it each and every time._

_Once you have the required seal at your destination and have performed the jutsu, you will be pulled into a sort of formless void. The experience can be very disorienting at first, but you will find that your chakra is connected to both your original location as well as every intact seal. From there, you merely need to "pull" on the chakra connecting you to the seal you wish to travel to and you will be there. I never had a problem picking the "correct" thread to use, and I have also noticed that the actual distance traveled has no impact on the cost of the technique._

_I have my theories as to why this is, as well as some ideas for improving and adapting the Hiraishin for other uses, but it seems I will not have the change to follow up on those – I hope that you will do so in my place. You can find all of my notes on the top shelf in my workshop. I'm afraid they may be a little disorganized, but I've gathered up the relevant pieces as best I could._

Kuushou stopped reading as his mind caught up to the implications of how the technique functioned.

"Well... _shit_," he growled.

* * *

-August 9th, 347 NE-

-Kirigakure-

"Welcome back, Watanabe-sama," the secretary said. "The Mizukage is expecting you. You can go right in."

"Thank you."

The young man smiled pleasantly before turning and pushing open the door to the Mizukage's office. His eyes flickered as he took in everything about the room, noting the four ANBU guarding the office, the immaculately clean furniture, the large window that gave a wide view of the Village Hidden in the Mist, and the pictures of previous Mizukages hanging on the wall behind the desk.

The majority of his attention, however, was reserved for the woman in her mid-twenties currently sitting behind the desk. Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, had very long red hair which hung forward and obscured nearly half of her face. The traditional Kage hat sat on her desk, and she wore a blue dress rather than the ceremonial robes of her office. She was renowned for her beauty, from her fair skin to her generous proportions – only accentuated by the deep neckline of her dress – to her thin, well-toned frame, and she looked particularly stunning today.

"Welcome, Shinichiro-san," she said, her voice soft and lilting. "I see you are punctual as always."

"Of course, Mizukage-sama," he replied. "Far be it for me to keep someone as important as yourself waiting."

She smiled, a small quirk of her lips. "Leave us," she said.

The ANBU, long since accustomed to these private meetings, filed out of the room without complaint. Once the door closed behind them, privacy seals flared to life and the windows darkened, completely securing the room from outside observation.

"Well?" she asked, her voice openly concerned.

"There is no cure," Itachi replied softly, causing her to frown. "There is, however, a known treatment to heal any damage it causes."

Mei nodded, relaxing slightly as she let out a relieved breath. "Good." She paused then, looking pensive. "Is it something you can do here?"

"The instructions provided seem relatively simple. I believe most of the med-nins here could do it immediately, as well as training anyone else in the specific techniques required."

"Good," Mei repeated, relaxing again.

"I also brought you some souvenirs."

Mei raised one delicate eyebrow, a small smirk crossing her face. "Hoshigaki's head on a silver platter?"

"Not quite," he replied, amused, "but I think you'll like them all the same." He pulled out two scrolls and laid them on the desk. "The first," he said, motioning to the scroll on the left, "contains Konoha's own information for some of their more prominent ninja, including a full set of profiles on the Akimichi and Aburame clans. It also contains a copy of the full treaty between Suna and Konoha, as well as particulars for some of their trade agreements with other groups both in and out of the Land of Fire."

Mei licked her lips, her smile growing much wider. "That... will be very useful. What is in the other scroll?"

"The Scroll of Forbidden Seals."

"... you're kidding."

"Are you not the one who often tells me I have no sense of humor?"

"You don't," she replied flatly. She reached out and picked up the scroll on the right, rapidly unrolling and releasing its contents. The much larger scroll settled onto her desk with a dull thud. She reached for it eagerly, but paused, noting the complex security seals written on it.

"I have already deactivated the security seals," he said calmly.

Mei grinned and unfurled the scroll, rapidly scanning across the jutsu listed within. "Shadow Clones, Dome of Absolute Darkness, the Eight Gates...," she read, her grin growing. "Yes, I can think of a few people who will be very interested in learning these techniques."

She rolled the scroll closed with a snap and sealed it away again, tucking the scroll inside her dress, then focused her attention back on him. "Is there anything else?"

"I also learned the identities of the infamous Sword and Hammer duo."

"My, you _have _been busy," Mei murmured, smirking. "Too much pent up energy, perhaps?" She laughed at the expression on Itachi's face before motioning for him to continue.

"Kushina Uzumaki and Tsunade Senju."

All signs of humor vanished in an instant. "Are they working for Konoha?"

"I do not believe so, though I cannot say for certain."

Mei tapped her fingers on her desk, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Any chance they could be recruited?"

"Not at this time. There are certain parties within Konoha that I feel have their absolute loyalty for the moment. Should those parties leave Konoha, then we might have more options."

Mei focused her attention back on Itachi. "Which parties? Anyone we might be able to influence?"

"No," Itachi replied immediately. "Attempting to interfere in that matter would be far too dangerous. The entire situation is highly unstable, and I feel it is best if we remain uninvolved."

Mei frowned for a moment before smirking. She stood and moved around the desk, moving closer to Itachi and running her finger across his chest slowly. "You keep saying 'we'," she noted. "If you aren't careful I might think you mean something by that."

She leaned closer and closer until her face was inches from Itachi's, her eyes dancing the entire time. She abruptly whirled around and walked back to her desk, settling into her seat once more.

"Is there anything else I need to know right now?"

Itachi cleared his throat and shook his head silently.

"Very well then," Mei said, deactivating the privacy seals on the office. Her ANBU filed back in and resumed their positions around the office. Another jounin entered behind them, an older man with slightly spiky gray hair and an eyepatch covering one eye. He glowered slightly at the ninja standing across from the Mizukage, but before he could say anything Mei threw a scroll at him.

"Ao, take that to the intelligence corps and have them begin analyzing everything in it. I want a full report in three days. After that, tell Zabuza that he's in charge for the rest of the day – I will be occupied elsewhere."

"Mizukage-sama, one of the Council members has been trying to get an appointment with you all day," Ao said. He froze when the Mizukage focused a glare on him.

"Ao..., shut up or I'll kill you. I kept my schedule clear for a reason. They can deal with Zabuza or wait."

"Y-yes, Mizukage-sama," he said.

The Mizukage's expression cleared, and she motioned for Itachi to follow her as she left the office. "Come, Shinichiro-san, let us finish our... _discussion_ in more comfortable surroundings."

Ao glared at the man accompanying the Mizukage, but held his tongue. He didn't like anyone not officially associated with Kiri having that much influence on the Mizukage, but she seemed to trust him a great deal. It was also fairly obvious that their relationship went far beyond just that of a Kage and her informant. On the other hand, that man had been spending more and more time within Kirigakure over the last four years, so perhaps he might officially join the village yet.

"Lucky bastard," one of the ANBU muttered.

* * *

**A/N: Thus ends Part II.**

**There are quite a few fics where Naruto gains the Hiraishin, and only a small percentage of those have him sharing the Hiraishin with anyone else. I can't think of a single one where someone _other _than Naruto gets ahold of it. There are some other things to interest Kuushou in the mansion, but I'm not going to give Batman the Green Lantern ring – er, I mean, give the Bijuu a god-mode teleport. Ino, on the other hand... well, I have some rather interesting ideas in mind for how she can use it.**

**I thought about including a scene for Akatsuki, but the timing of their movements didn't work out right and I wanted Itachi's scene to be the last of Part II. Part III will be opening with them instead as they start moving in a big way.**

**That said, the first chapter of Part III won't be posted for at least a month. I will set a firm deadline of May 5th for the next chapter, with the intent of resuming posting on March 31st. This hiatus is intended to give me time to build up a buffer and plan out the next part more thoroughly, as well as a chance to work on other projects. **

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	43. The Art Of Diplomacy

-January 3rd, 348 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Outside Taki-

Three figures stood in the middle of a clearing, completely still and silent. Each wore a straw hat and a black cloak decorated with red clouds that served to completely conceal their features. The figure in the middle was roughly six feet tall and appeared to be rather slender. The two other figures stood behind the central one on either side, the positioning clearly deferential. The flanking figures were also a full foot shorter.

Four Taki ninja entered the clearing, coming to a stop a few meters away from the ninja already present.

"It's good to see Akatsuki at least knows how to be punctual," one of the Taki-nin said, stepping forward. "Have you brought the payment?"

"You seem to be short one person," the central figure replied. His voice was calm and soft.

"There's been a change in plans," the Taki-nin sneered. "You give us the money, and we'll tell you where to find her."

"... that was not the agreement. You were to allow the jinchuuriki to accompany us, and in return we would provide monetary aid and perform a set number of missions."

"Tell you what," the Taki-nin countered, "you can count tracking down the bitch as one of your missions. Now where's the money?"

The straw hat tilted to one side momentarily. "Jun, Kyoko," the figure said after a moment. "Do you see the sort of corruption and ignorance we fight against?"

"Yes, Leader-sama," the other two replied. One of them was male, the other female, and both were clearly teenagers judging by their voices and height.

"Leader-sama?" the Taki-nin repeated. "What, you mercenaries actually _have _a leader?"

There was no reply for a moment. "Jun," the central figure said again. "Immobilize the other three. I shall deal with their commander."

"Yes, Leader-sama," the male replied. A moment later, four streams of chakra burst from his back, rapidly forming into tail-like appendages. Three of those tails plunged into the ground.

To their credit, the Taki-nin reacted immediately, springing apart to gain distance and surround the suddenly hostile ninja. It didn't matter, though, as each of them were suddenly encased in bonds of earth and stone moments later as the very ground rose up and captured them.

The commander growled and moved to pull out a brace of kunai, only to find a hand gripping his head and a pair of purple eyes with a strange concentric ring pattern in them boring into his own. This close, he could see underneath the hat and observe the red hair and delicate features of the one they referred to as "Leader-sama."

"Lies and deceit are meaningless before me," he said. "It would have been better for you and your village to have quietly followed the terms of the original deal."

There was a sudden flare of chakra, then the commander dropped to the ground, lifeless.

"As expected, they never intended to turn her over to us," he continued, turning to his companions. "This entire situation was engineered to lead us into a trap. Fuu is still within Taki and was never even informed of the exchange that was to take place."

"How did you-" one of the Taki ninja started to ask before a stone gag wrapped itself over his mouth and cut him off.

"Is this what other villages are like, Leader-sama?" Kyoko asked.

"More often than not, yes," he replied. "They discard honor and integrity for greed, and betray anyone and everyone when it suits them." His voice hardened, vestiges of anger slipping into it. "Ame was like that, not so long ago."

"But then you showed them the right way to do things, right, Leader-sama?" Jun half-stated, half-asked. His voice was overflowing with devotion and awe.

"It was not I alone," came the reply.

"Of course! Angel-sama helped too!" Kyoko said, her eyes shining.

"And you two are a part of it as well, remember. Now come, it is time to make them understand the price of betraying Akatsuki."

"What of them, Leader-sama?" Jun asked, motioning to the three captured Taki-nin. They were all attempting to struggle against their bonds with no success. Their eyes were wide and frantic, and muffled pleas could be heard through the bands of earth serving as gags.

"They have chosen their path. Kill them."

"At once, Leader-sama!" Jun said happily. His expression never wavered as the stone encasing the Taki-nin suddenly compacted, causing a shower of blood that drenched the clearing.

* * *

-January 3rd, 348 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Taki-

Fuu stared down at the village from her perch near the top of the great tree. From this great height even the largest buildings were little more than blobs of color against the backdrop of the forest and lake. It was easy to pretend that there _was _no village, that she was alone in this beautiful landscape, that it existed just for her.

She felt the insistent prodding in her skull grow a little stronger, but she ignored it for now; it was still relatively light, and she would be making it go away soon enough.

Her thoughts drifted to the strange boy she had first met nearly two months ago, the one from Konoha. He was supposedly just a chuunin assigned to a boring and pointless bodyguard detail for the diplomats from Konoha, but he instead seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time following her around and asking inane questions. She'd spent entire days doing nothing but evading him, but he always managed to find her and resume his one-sided conversation as if nothing was wrong.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she recalled the contentof those conversations. Given his persistence she had expected some sort of romantic overtures or the more blunt propositions she had faced in the past, but he was either much more subtle in his approach than the average teenager or had no interest in her in that regard.

Instead he spent his time talking about his family and how amazing they were or his village and how pleasant it was there. In return, she talked about how she was going to crush his head like a grape or tear him in half and spread his entrails over the village if he didn't leave her alone. It didn't faze him in the least, not even when she pointed out – truthfully – that she actually had done both of those to someone in the past. They had been enemy ninja, granted, but that was largely irrelevant; _enemy_ was such a vague concept, especially in a village that loathed her and that she loathed in turn.

When that failed, she insulted his sister – she'd seen the girl around the village and, while she moved with the confidence and grace of a skilled kunoichi, she didn't seem all that special or amazing. She hadn't said that, though, instead calling her an annoying, useless bitch – nevermind that she'd never even spoken to her at that point.

He'd just smiled and _looked _at her, his grin a little too wide and showing off teeth that suddenly seemed a little too sharp, his dark-blue and slitted eyes no longer strange or odd but instead all too suited to his face and incredibly menacing. She had endured killing intent before, both in training and on the field of battle, and she had never felt closer to death than at the moment; she could see her life being weighed in his disturbingly alien eyes, and it unnerved her at a level she couldn't quite put into words.

The moment passed, but she hadn't said a word about his family after that.

The boy had left and returned twice so far, and was due to come back within the week for the next round of negotiations. She knew he would likely be bothering her once again less than an hour after he entered the village, and she couldn't decide if the lack of revulsion she had at the thought was a good thing or not. Annoying or not, unnerving or not, he was still nicer to her than pretty much anyone else she had met. Other than that brief moment, he had treated her like a person.

She was drawn out of her thoughts as she felt chakra flaring from the village. She glanced down and noticed that pillars of smoke – large ones, if they were so clearly visible from her current position – were pouring out of many buildings. A smile spread across her face as she imagined that her worst tormentors were trapped in those fires, burning and screaming and melting. She wanted to see this for herself. The insistent prodding in her head had strengthened further as well, sealing her decision.

She rolled forward and dove off the branch in one smooth motion, two wings of chakra emerging from her back seamlessly and guiding her descent as she swept towards the burning village. As she flew through the air, she closed her eyes and reveled in the euphoric feeling that replaced the prodding in her mind.

She jerked herself to a halt and began hovering in midair when two... _things _rose out of the village, towering over the buildings and trees. She could make out some details from her position in the sky, and what she saw filled her with equal parts anticipation and terror.

The first figure was a massive, hulking creature similar to a gorilla in shape; its legs and arms were heavily muscled, as was its chest, and its gaping maw was filled with razor-sharp teeth. It had two horns emerging from its forehead and sweeping back over its skull, and four tails covered with what looked like spikes of some sort.

The second figure was almost the opposite of the first, in many ways. It was thin and sleek instead of thick and muscled, and its body resembled a horse more than anything. Its head was rather strange, though, with its eyes set on the sides of its head and an elongated jaw that was almost serpentine in appearance. It too had horns jutting out of its skull, and five long, whip-like tails spreading out behind it.

The odd thing, though, was that both of the creatures looked pale and colorless. Still, whatever was wrong with them – and she couldn't explain to herself why she thought that something _was _wrong, even as the conviction hardened – didn't appear to hinder them in any way as the gorilla spewed forth a torrent of lava and the horse-thing produced dual jets of something – steam? – that sliced through buildings and landscape alike with the ease of a blade through water.

"There you are," Fuu heard a voice behind her say. Her heart stopped for a brief moment – she hadn't sensed anyone approaching, but more importantly she was _still in midair_.

She whipped around to find a man floating before her. He was wearing a black cloak decorated with red clouds and had a straw hat on his head that obscured his features. As if sensing her curiosity, he pushed the hat back until it was hanging against his back, secured by the string hanging around his neck. Fuu took in his deep red hair and his pale skin, but most of her attention was focused on the purple eyes and the concentric ring pattern they had in place of normal pupils.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am the leader of a group known as Akatsuki," he replied. He appeared perfectly at ease, as if standing in midair was effortless – in fact, he appeared to have an easier time of it that she herself did, as she had to keep flapping her wings in order to maintain her position.

"So? What does that matter?"

"Akatsuki has long had an interest in jinchuuriki," he replied. "Lately we have decided that the current situation in the Elemental Nations cannot be allowed to continue, and thus we have begun to act."

"The fuck does that mean?" Fuu retorted. She had heard far too many people talk like that, all vague words and benign sounding inferences. It usually meant nothing good in her experience.

The man stared at her for a moment before nodding. "I shall skip the pleasantries, then. Very well. Akatsuki has begun to reclaim the jinchuuriki that were stolen from us. The so-called Great Villages have abused and misused their power for too long, and we are going to put a stop to it."

"Sounds like you just want me as a weapon, no different from Taki. Hell, worse; at least they are honest about it."

"You fail to understand. Akatsuki does not use jinchuuriki as weapons. Indeed, three of Akatsuki's members are jinchuuriki themselves."

Fuu froze in shock, even her wings stilling a moment before she righted herself in the air. "Those two down there?"

"Full-fledged members," the man across from her confirmed. "They believe in our goals as strongly as I do, and should I fall they would take my place and carry on."

"And what goals are those?"

The man smiled. "The ninja villages have become corrupted and twisted, and are responsible for far more pain and suffering than they prevent. They lash out at those they fear, seize power wherever it may be found no matter the cost, and then strut around like peacocks as if their miserable existence was something to be admired."

Though she didn't show it, Fuu found herself agreeing with his sentiments. That described most of the ninja she had personally interacted with, and might even be on the kind side.

"That's not a goal, though," Fuu pointed out.

"We are going to destroy the current system and build something better in its place. We won't need to lash out in fear – we will _be _fear. We won't need to struggle for scraps of power – we will _be _power. And as for strutting around and showing off... well," he concluded, motioning to the towering forms that were finishing the complete and utter destruction of the village, "that hardly seems necessary."

"You aren't a jinchuuriki, though," Fuu pointed out. She honestly liked the sound of what he was saying – anything that let her strike back at the people who had tried to make her life a living hell was a good thing in her mind – but she'd heard ideas and arguments just as promising before and gotten burned for believing them. "What makes what you're doing now any different than all that stuff you just said? What's to say you aren't using jinchuuriki for power like all those other people?"

His eyes narrowed, and Fuu felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

"Jinchuuriki are a key part of Akatsuki, but you are mistaken if you think _I_ needthem for their power." He turned his attention to the village below, where the two jinchuuriki accompanying him had finished their work, the towering forms gone as quickly as they had appeared.

Fuu felt a surge of chakra, and then two specks rose from the ground and approached rapidly. As the objects came closer, Fuu could make out two figures wearing the same cloak as the man she was talking to, and she heard... giggling?

"This is fun, Leader-sama!" one of them said, her voice tinged with delight.

"Kyoko!" the other one said, his voice stern. "Now isn't the time!"

"Sorry, Jun," the first replied contritely.

Fuu felt dizzy. _These _were the jinchuuriki who had just wiped out Taki in a matter of minutes? Kami, she could make out blood splattered on their cloaks, the liquid blending with the red clouds, but they were just smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"You have seen their power, and should be familiar with your own," the man said, turning his attention back to Fuu. "Now observe mine."

He turned once more to face the village, holding one hand out, palm flat.

"Shinra Tensei."

Fuu's eyes widened as she felt a massive surge of chakra and watched as the air rippled and a massive column of dust exploded from the ground. The man waved his hand again, producing a smaller surge of chakra, and the dust was swept away almost negligently. What was left was a massive hole in the ground that was already filling with water from the nearby lake.

"Isn't Leader-sama amazing?" the boy asked, his voice full of awe. "And we get to learn from him!"

"And Angel-sama!" Kyoko interrupted. She then turned to look at Fuu. "Are you going to come with us too? Leader-sama said we were recruiting another Guardian... is that you?"

Fuu stared at the girl's openly curious and excited face, and the boy's relaxed grin, then turned back to the man who lead them. He was staring at her expectantly, not saying anything. Something in his gaze reminded her of that annoying boy just after she had insulted his sister, and she knew that there could be only one answer.

"Yeah," she said finally, swallowing thickly. "That's me."

* * *

-January 3rd, 348 NE-

-Land of Waterfalls, Near the Border of the Land of Fire-

-4:00 PM-

Kuushou leapt from tree to tree, easily keeping pace with the carriage that was traveling along the road. He could sense Ino on the other side of the road and Hinata sitting inside the carriage, her chakra flexing roughly every minute as she activated and deactivated her byakugan. The diplomats they were accompanying, both civilians, no doubt thought that the assignment of Team Kakashi was some indication of privilege or prestige.

Kuushou knew that it had nothing to do with that. The diplomats, as far as he was concerned, were nothing more than an excuse to get him into Taki. Shikaku and Sarutobi may be planning to forge an actual alliance out of all of this, but that was tangential at best to his goals.

The results of his efforts to convince Shijyou's container to abandon Taki were mixed; the girl had absolutely no loyalty to the village itself, but she also had no interest in giving her loyalty to any other village either. She just wanted to be left alone.

Unfortunately for her, that was not an option.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a chakra signature rapidly approaching their position. Hinata was flaring her chakra a few seconds later, signaling that she had caught sight of the intruder as well. A series of coordinated movements had the diplomats hiding in the forest while clones took their place inside the carriage, and then a couple of genjutsu cloaked the carriage's position and presence.

All of that proved unnecessary when the injured Taki-nin caught sight of them. He ran up to them, babbling the whole time and sounding half-crazed.

"Taki attacked! Tailed beast! Killing everyone! Help! You have to help!"

Kuushou grinned internally; it seemed that Fuu had finally been pushed too far and struck back at her captors. This could work in his favor; no one could complain if Konoha subdued a rampaging jinchuuriki so close to the Land of Fire.

The man wasn't finished gibbering, however. "Red clouds! Lava!"

Now that they were right next to the man, Kuushou could make out the smell of charred flesh. Examining him more closely, he could see that most of the man's back was heavily burned, and infection had likely already set in. Coupled with the strain of pushing through the pain for so long and maintaining the jutsu he was using to keep himself from bleeding out, it explained his somewhat addled mental state.

The mention of red clouds brought to mind Akatsuki's uniform, however, and lava was one of Akkai's favorite abilities, the source of his name even. It was certainly not something Shijyou would use. Kuushou wasn't entirely certain what that meant, but he doubted it was good for his plans.

Kuushou's hands glowed green as he rendered the Taki-nin unconscious and healed the worst of the damage. It would be enough to keep him alive and stable until he reached the border.

"Ino," Kuushou said, "any chance you can pull what we need from his mind?"

"I can try, but if he's as confused as he sounded, anything I get would be suspect."

"Alright, nevermind on that then. Hinata," Kuushou said, his tone firm, "you are to take the diplomats and the Taki-nin and head back to the border station. Send a message to the Hokage that Taki has been attacked and that a jinchuuriki other than Fuu may have been involved. Then gather as many reinforcements as you can and head for Taki. I trust you two will add your authority to that?" Kuushou added, looking at the two diplomats who had joined them.

"Of course, Yamanaka-san," the first said. "If Taki has been attacked, Konoha should respond as swiftly as possible."

"Good. In the meantime, Ino and I will push ahead and see what we can find out. Hinata will be able to find us."

Hinata nodded sharply, swiftly maneuvering everyone into the carriage and heading back down the road.

Kuushou and Ino began moving quickly, both using chakra to reinforce their muscles even more as they pushed for as much speed as they could get.

* * *

-January 3rd, 348 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Taki-

An hour later they arrived in Taki; or rather, where Taki used to be.

Ino stared at the altered landscape, stunned. Where the village used to stand was instead a new extension of the lake, and only the darkened water and the lingering smell of ash and smoke showed that there had ever been anything else in the area.

"Akkai and Senun were here," Naruto said slowly, "or rather, their jinchuuriki were; there's traces of them everywhere, but... the traces don't feel right. I don't feel anything from Shijyou either; it's like Fuu didn't even fight."

"So... what? Iwa decided to wipe Taki off the map? Do you think it was because we were getting closer to a treaty?"

"Maybe," he said distractedly, "but if Akatsuki really was here there might be something else going on." His head snapped up, and he started grinning widely. "I also think we're about to have some company."

"What kind of company?" Ino asked suspiciously, scanning her surroundings warily.

"_My _kind."

Before he could say anything further, a cloaked figure suddenly appeared roughly five meters away from her. The figure's features were obscured, and it wore some kind of long cylindrical object on its back.

"Greetings, Konoha ninja," the figure said, the voice distinctly male. "I mean you no harm. I merely wish to talk."

"Then talk," Naruto replied. "You can start by introducing yourself."

"Yes, I suppose I must," the figure mused, throwing back the hood concealing his face. Ino noted the gray hair and prominent scar running vertically across his face. "My name is Yagura, and I am the jinchuuriki of the Three-Tailed Turtle. And you," he said, focusing on Naruto, "are the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"And if I am?" Naruto replied. He didn't sound at all disturbed by Yagura's knowledge.

"Then I must ask you a question: what is the Burning Sky?"

Ino's eyes widened slightly. If Yagura knew enough to ask that question, then he must be in contact with Kounori; she couldn't think of any other way he could possibly know Naruto's real name.

Naruto didn't answer immediately, instead staring at Yagura with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he grinned widely and replied, "The Burning Sky is a lie."

Ino's head whipped back to Naruto. What the hell did he mean by that?

Yagura frowned. "That's not-" he began before his entire body convulsed and deep blue energy poured out of him. It rapidly formed a thick layer that completely surrounded him before sinking into his skin once more. He shook himself quickly, then snapped his head to Naruto, looking at him for a moment then turning to stare intently at her. After a few moments, he looked back at Naruto, one eyebrow raised.

"She knows, Kounori," Naruto said, replying to the silent question.

"And still she stands by your side... interesting. It seems you have not completely wasted your time after all," she said as she began walking forward.

"One hundred and fifteen years and that's the welcome I get?"

"Did you expect something else?"

Naruto let out an amused snort. "No."

"Then let us begin. There is much that you must know." With that, a spike of blue energy lanced out and plunged into Naruto's body.

The sudden movement snapped Ino out of her surprised stupor. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" she yelled.

Neither replied verbally, but Naruto raised one hand and tapped his temple.

"Tch, fine," Ino muttered, quickly using the Mind Walk jutsu on Naruto.

* * *

Ino expected to find herself standing in the white room, as she had every other time she entered Naruto's mindscape. Instead she found herself standing in the middle of an office that looked startlingly similar to the Hokage's. There were even a set of three pictures hanging on the wall behind the desk, although they showed different people than she was used to.

Her eyes suddenly focused on the figure sitting at the desk, Yagura. He was slumped over, snoring gently and looking for all the world as if he had fallen asleep in the middle of signing a document. Frowning, Ino continued to scan the office, noting the overflowing bookshelves and opulent furniture before her gaze landed on the far wall.

There was a large tapestry hanging on it that covered most of the available surface, but the image the tapestry displayed kept changing. First it looked like a street-level view of the Hokage Tower, then rapidly jumped to other locations within Konoha. From there it jumped to other landscapes, some that Ino recognized but many that she didn't. Abruptly the tapestry began showing people, close-ups of their faces along with full-body images, and next to each was a long string of symbols that she didn't recognize. She gaped when she saw herself displayed there, and watched as everyone she knew, from her parents to ninja she had only met once or twice, were shown in turn. The tapestry suddenly shifted again, showing handseals and images of the resulting jutsu along with yet more of the symbols she couldn't read.

A flicker of motion from above made her jerk her gaze upwards, and what she saw caused her mouth to drop open. Instead of a ceiling there was some sort of three-dimensional image spinning in the air, the entire thing some sort of gigantic sealing array. She'd seen enough seals through Naruto to recognize some of them, but this dwarfed everything she'd ever seen, even the room that housed the security for the Namikaze estate.

Even as she watched, entire sections blinked out and were replaced by new arrays, then replaced again. New branches were added, adjusted, then dropped or moved seemingly at random. The entire thing paused for a moment, images flickering around it far too rapidly for her to follow, then she jumped as the entire array shrank in on itself, taking up roughly half of the space it had just a moment before. A new layer was added shortly after that, restoring it to its original size, and the process began again.

Shaking her head, she lowered her gaze and looked towards the last wall, the one located behind her. This one was covered with a large map of the Elemental Nations. There were a series of glowing dots that immediately snared her attention: two were on top of the area labeled "Kumogakure"; one was in "Sunagakure"; one was in "Konohagakure"; and four were in the only blank section of the map, sitting in the middle of the small area labeled "Amegakure / Akatsuki". It didn't take long for Ino to figure out what those dots represented.

"That can't be good," she muttered to herself.

"No kidding," Naruto muttered from behind her. Ino yelped and spun around to find him sitting on a couch that she would have sworn wasn't there before while massaging his temples. "Couldn't you have done that the slow way?" he sniped, glaring towards the desk.

Ino looked back at the desk to find that a woman was sitting in a meditating position on top of the desk, her elbows resting on her knees while her chin was propped on her hands. Her entire body was lithely muscled, and she had long auburn hair, soft brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin. She was wearing a skin-tight bodysuit of the kind that Ino had only seen in pictures and paintings from the days of Konoha's founding, and had a light kimono draped over that.

"My first container," Kounori said abruptly, interrupting the question Ino had been about to ask. "She was a surprisingly suitable host for one such as I." She turned her head to look at Naruto again. "We do not have time for that and you know it, so stop whining."

"Hold up," Ino said quickly, frowning in annoyance, "what did you do?"

Kounori frowned, then flicked her wrist.

Ino cried out in pain and fell to one knee as something slammed into her skull. It felt like her head was stuck in a vice and someone just kept tightening and tightening and tightening until she just _knew _her head was going to crack open. As abruptly as it had started, the pain vanished, leaving a throbbing ache behind. She stumbled back to her feet, shoving aside the pain and focusing on her anger as she glared at Kounori.

"What the fuck was- oh," she said, cutting off her own brewing tirade as she suddenly found that she did know what Kounori had done to Naruto, because she'd just done it to her. "You implanted knowledge in our heads and _fuck_ is that one hell of a headache," Ino groaned, mimicking Naruto as she massaged her own temples. "Does it always feel like that?"

"Whenever it's Kounori, yes," Naruto replied sourly. "The way she sees the world is a little... off from the rest of us, so we can't just share directly like I would with the others."

"Honestly, brother, just admit that I'm smarter than you and be done with it."

Naruto growled lowly but didn't reply.

"As I was saying, we have important matters to discuss. The group known as Akatsuki has secured the jinchuuriki of four of our brethren, and as evidenced by Taki they have begun to use them as the weapons they were meant to be. The group operates out of Ame, and they have considerable influence with the Village Hidden in the Rain, either directly or indirectly.

"I have observed no less than five distinct individuals operating as members of Akatsuki, and I have positively identified two of them: Hidan, missing-nin of the now-defunct Yugakure; and Kisame Hoshigaki, missing-nin of Kirigakure." Kounori smirked. "Due to his so-called _immense _chakra reserves, he is apparently known as the Tailless Beast," she added, drawing an amused chuckle from Naruto.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time any of their captured jinchuuriki have been outside the borders of Ame. Given that Akkai and Senun's containers have not been seen in Iwa for nearly two decades now and the survivors I questioned specifically described two teenagers wearing Akatsuki cloaks, I believe that Akatsuki captured Iwa's jinchuuriki some time ago and resealed our brethren into new containers. They also appear to be using new seals, as the traces I observed did not match what I would expect from any of the seals I know."

Ino let out a shaky breath. "So they don't really have four jinchuuriki under their command, then? I mean, if they are resealing the Bijuu then it'd be years before the new jinchuuriki is ready, right?"

Kounori shook her head. "Taki's jinchuuriki did not fight at all, and given what Kuushou observed of her treatment she may have joined with Akatsuki willingly. And then there's Ensou's jinchuuriki, who went missing from Kirigakure before Yagura became Mizukage."

"Did Akatsuki capture him, too?"

"Everything I have seen indicates that to be the case," Kounori said.

Naruto sighed in frustration. "Meaning you don't actually know for sure."

"No," Kounori said shortly. "I managed to confirm the location of everyone except Ensou, but the fact that I haven't encountered any traces of him in my wanderings tells me that his container was captured."

Naruto nodded, his face twisting into a frown. "We can't let them grow any stronger. Akatsuki knows more about sealing us than anyone, and they don't seem likely to repeat the mistake they did with my seal."

"My own seal was an early design, and it still took me years to find flaws I could exploit," Kounori added. "With their current seal designs, if they manage to capture all of us...," she trailed off.

"That won't happen," Naruto said firmly. "At the very least they will never have enough time to transfer me to another seal."

Kounori raised one eyebrow then turned to look at Ino, causing Naruto to grimace.

Ino swallowed thickly. "If it comes to that, do it. If things get that bad, I'd probably end up dying anyway," she said as firmly as she could manage. She shifted uncomfortably when she actually _felt _Kounori focus all of her attention on her.

"The title of Sage," Kounori said suddenly, "is granted only to a summoner who has managed to master the use of the energy known as 'nature chakra'. While such an energy does exist, they are not, strictly speaking, actually using it; instead they are converting the neutral energy that permeates this world into the energy used by the Outlings.

"This is why the intervention of the Outlings is necessary, as they make the change that allows a human being to start the process in the first place, as well as survive the addition of this second type of energy to their chakra networks. The situation of Sage Jiraiya implies that there is a final stage where the change becomes permanent, though I have come across no knowledge of such a thing ever happening before.

"As I have never personally met a Sage this is speculation on my part, but I believe that this process is actually training the human body to produce a different type of energy internally, with the end goal of fully converting their own chakra into this new form of energy. As even humans are intimately linked with their chakra, such a fundamental change means that are not, strictly speaking, human anymore; here too Sage Jiraiya serves as proof."

Ino shivered as the pressure faded, her mind whirling with what Kounori had just explained and what it meant for her. She had known all that about Jiraiya before, and she knew that when she went through with it she would change, but that didn't bother her. She'd spent her entire life surrounded by ninja with bloodlines and she didn't see this as anything different. What captured her attention was the fact that she now had a clear path to reaching that goal.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she barely noticed Kounori flick her wrist again or Naruto's flinch as he cradled his head once more.

"It is unfortunate that you failed to fully conceal your identity, brother," Kounori said, once again changing subjects abruptly, "but Konoha can still be of use to us. Akatsuki's actions here have presented us with a prime opportunity, and it all begins with Iwa."

* * *

**A/N: So begins Part III. As promised, Akatsuki makes their move in a big way, and some of the hints I dropped all the way back in Part I become clear.**

**The hiatus was very good for me, as it gave me a chance to relax, take a breather, and work on other things. It also gave me enough time to come up with a better plot for this arc. The destruction of Taki has been planned for a while, but it was the fallout from that that was giving me trouble. The vague ideas I had weren't all that compelling for me to write, and I imagine would have been even worse to read. **

**I feel like I have a much better plot for this arc now, and I'm actually really excited about writing it. Hopefully you will enjoy reading it just as much. **

**I hope to resume my once per week posting schedule, but I find that I really, really like having at least one chapter buffer at all times. I don't feel as pressured to write quickly, I don't feel worried so much about cutting something out and thus falling behind on word count, and I get to explore in depth some of the consequences for the current chapter, which helps make sure that I don't have any plot holes or that I haven't missed something.**

**So, while I will try for once a week, just keep in mind that I might miss a week here and there as the story moves forward.**


	44. A Meeting Of Minds

-January 5th, 348 NE-

-Council Room, Hokage Tower, Konoha-

-11:00 PM-

"Upon their return from Taki, Naruto Yamanaka provided further treatment to the survivor, and Ino Yamanaka performed a mind-walk to retrieve additional information about the attack. Her report, confirmed by the other Yamanaka and the ninja's own testimony, confirms that both the Four-Tailed and Five-Tailed Beasts were sighted attacking the village. All indications are that the attack was controlled and directed as there is no destruction in the surrounding countryside, supporting the conclusion that the jinchuuriki were present and in command.

"We have also found the remains of other Taki-nin, killed by a mixture of weapons and earth jutsu, further implicating Iwa. In particular, we found a group of four Taki-nin killed shortly before the attack on Iwa; three of them by earth jutsu, and the fourth by an unknown technique that left no mark upon the body. It would appear that the jinchuuriki were the main attack while an unknown number of additional ninja were present to provide support and prevent any ninja from fleeing the village. At this time, we have found only a single survivor.

"My advisers and I have been forced to conclude that Iwa has knowingly and willingly used their jinchuuriki in an attack against a neutral village, violating the Five Village Treaty of 331, as well as the Fire Accords and the Wind-Earth Non-Aggression Pact.

"Given Taki's strategic location between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, as well as the ongoing talks between Konoha and Taki regarding trade agreements and a potential alliance, we believe that Iwa may have launched this attack as part of a long-term campaign to undermine Konoha's security. This could be also be a more immediate precursor to a full-scale assault on Konoha.

"Even without considering the long-term implications, there is no doubt that Iwa is also testing the Suna-Konoha alliance following the recent civil war in Suna. It goes without saying that the other villages will be watching our reaction to this attack as well."

The council room was silent as the assembled group digested Shikaku's summation of the situation.

"Hokage-sama," Hiashi said finally, "is this approach not too risky for Iwa? They have given us sufficient cause to start a war, and by using their jinchuuriki in such a manner they have also opened themselves up to retaliation from the other villages..."

"You would be correct, Hyuuga-san," Shikaku replied, "were it not for the unknown fate of Taki's jinchuuriki. Team Kakashi is uniquely suited to detecting any traces of jinchuuriki activity, and they reported that there were no indications that the Seven-Tailed Beast was involved in any fashion. This would indicate that Taki's jinchuuriki was captured alive, or possibly even defected, which means there is a distinct possibility that Iwa now possesses three jinchuuriki, all of them fully grown and capable of utilizing their powers."

There was an uneasy stir among the Council at that. Iwa's duo of jinchuuriki were only marginally involved in the last war, part of a mutual, unspoken agreement between all of the villages not to escalate things to that level. Iwa had apparently decided that their hatred of Konoha outweighed the possible consequences of deploying their jinchuuriki like that. Of course, with a third of all jinchuuriki under the control of a single village, the odds that they could survive the retaliation exponentially increased.

"What of the other villages?" Shibi Aburame asked.

"To the best of our knowledge, none of them have responded to the events yet. Both Kumo and Kiri are considerably farther away, so officially there's no way they should have been able to at this point. Unofficially, we are watching carefully for any unusual movements that could indicate that they had foreknowledge of or were even involved in the attack."

Tsume growled lowly in her throat. "Kiri's jinchuuriki have both been missing for some time," she pointed out. "What are the chances that Iwa has managed to capture them as well?"

"Unknown," Shikaku replied immediately, "but that represents our worst case scenario."

"What are our next steps?" Hiashi asked.

"We need more information before we can respond. We also need to feel out the other villages to see where they will stand should it come to war. To that end, we are going to issue a call for a Kage Summit."

* * *

-January 11th, 348 NE-

-Namikaze Compound-

-1:00 AM-

Ino drew in a deep breath, calming herself and mentally reciting the steps for the jutsu she was about to perform. It was far and away the most complicated thing she had ever attempted, making her family's mind-walking jutsu look more like tree-walking in comparison.

With another deep breath, she began laboriously working her way through the longest string of handseals she had ever had the misfortune to memorize. She was standing at one end of the basement, and Naruto stood at the opposite end, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and watching with interest.

After nearly thirty seconds, she finally completed the combination and called out the name of the technique, her voice an equal mixture of anticipation and nervousness, "Flying Thunder God!"

She expected to see the infamous bright yellow flash, but she didn't. In fact, she couldn't see _anything_. Or feel anything, or hear anything, or- Kami, the Fourth hadn't been kidding when he said that using the technique was disorienting at first. She felt the stirrings of panic, but that faded quickly as she became aware of the connections the Fourth's notes had promised would be there.

There were two that intruded on her consciousness the most, one that she somehow knew would take her right back to where she had started, and one that would take her to Naruto. Even as she recognized those, though, she felt several more and understood where they were located: one in the Hokage's office, one in the foyer of the Namikaze estate and one in the master bedroom, several in abandoned rooms scattered throughout Konoha that were covered in dust and cobwebs, one locked away in a safe in an apartment within Konoha, three tattooed on ninja within Konoha itself, _seven _that all led to the same underground room far to the northwest – Iwa, her mind supplied – and one that was tattooed on a red-headed woman somewhere far to the east.

She understood how the Fourth knew where to go, now; she could perceive to a certain extent the area the seal was placed in, and even get a rough sense of how far away it was from her starting position.

With that mystery solved, she shook off her trance and focused on the connection that led to Naruto. Even as she tried to figure out how to "pull" on the connection, she found herself standing next to him. She opened her mouth to scream victoriously, but instead let out a scream of pain as the sharp blade of the kunai stabbed through her sandal.

"Fuck!" she yelled, falling backwards and clutching at her foot. "Goddamn fucking stupid piece of shit kunai!" She would have continued letting the kunai know just what she thought of it – awesome Hiraishin kunai or not – but Naruto's youki washed over her and the pain receded. She let out a relieved breath as Naruto slowly pulled the kunai out of her foot – the blade had punched straight through the metal plate on the bottom of her sandal – and healed the wound.

She really loved having a med-nin on tap for moments like this. Naruto's advantages also meant she didn't have to deal with scars or recuperation times either; come to think of it, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd gotten sick.

"I hope you don't plan on doing that every time," Naruto teased, eying the hole in her blood-covered sandal.

Ino growled at him, but couldn't really muster any anger when he'd just fixed up her foot before she could even gather up enough composure to ask for help.

"Didn't exactly plan on doing that," she finally responded. "It looks like I appeared directly on top of it."

"Well, that can't be how it works, otherwise it wouldn't be all that useful in combat."

Ino hummed thoughtfully, trying to recall exactly what she had done. Naruto's voice pulled her out of her contemplation.

"So, was it the Void, like I thought?"

"I... think so?" she answered, setting aside her contemplation for the moment. "It was kinda weird at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly; all the connections helped. I couldn't see anything, or hear or feel anything. I was just kinda... there. Sorry I took so long, by the way."

"... what do you mean?"

Ino blinked in confusion. "I must have been in there for a minute or two, at least. I got distracted sorting through all of the Fourth's seals that were still active. Did you know Kushina has one tattooed on her back, or that Iwa still has a bunch of active ones?"

Naruto looked at her oddly. "You weren't gone any time at all, Ino. You were at the far end of the room, then you finished the jutsu and appeared here. There was no delay, certainly not several minutes worth."

"But... that... that can't be right!"

Naruto shrugged. "Regardless of what it felt like to you, it all essentially happened in an instant. And, technically, you didn't even travel to the Void completely."

"... what do you mean?"

"There was never a moment where I lost track of you; you started at the far end and then you were here instead of there."

"Does that mean that you _could_...," Ino trailed off, seeing that Naruto was already shaking his head, an annoyed expression on his face.

"It didn't last for very long – perhaps a fraction of a second – but just before you moved I could feel your chakra focusing on the kunai next to me as well as at the far end of the room. Like the Fourth said, there has to be a connection there before you could make the jump. There are far too many things that could go wrong if I attempted to use the Hiraishin myself, more so because the Void _is _involved. The best case is that it simply doesn't work; there's also the possibility that I could rip the seal apart trying to transmit my youki that far."

"Well, what if I made the jump for you? The Fourth didn't say anything about only being able to take one person at a time, did he?"

Naruto opened his mouth, then snapped it closed again, a contemplative expression on his face. "I... don't know," he admitted. "If I'm right, simply going along for the ride shouldn't trigger the seal's limitations. If I'm wrong, though, there's no telling what could happen. At best I'll end up stuck in Makai again while you arrive at the destination alone. Still, we should be able to test that without too much risk somehow..."

He fell silent, thinking about the problem, while Ino's attention returned to the issue at hand. With her foot healed and Naruto's questions answered for the moment, her mind finally started absorbing what she had just done.

It started as a low chuckle that soon bloomed into laughter and continued to rise until she was howling madly. "I know the _fucking Hiraishin!_" she crowed, brandishing the previously reviled kunai in the air triumphantly.

Her eyes gleamed as she tossed the kunai across the room; the chakra drain wasn't even that bad, roughly B-rank, which helped explain why the Fourth could use it so often and so easily. Even with her own reserves – quite impressive for her age, but miniscule compared to Naruto's – she could probably use it upward of twenty times before she really started to feel the drain... although that was without any other jutsu factored in.

Now she just had to master it enough that she could ditch the handseals and the name, and she'd be every bit as dangerous as Naruto. And if she _could _use it to transport him as well...

"Before you start hopping all over the place, we need to talk about Sage training."

Ino paused, lowering her hands and turning to face him. "You figured out how to do it? Kounori helped fill in a lot of gaps, but I thought we still didn't know what that so-called 'change' that the Outlings made was."

"Jiraiya was in the village yesterday, stopping in for one last check in before he headed out to investigate Taki and Iwa," Naruto explained. "I took the opportunity to _really _study him in light of what Kounori had figured out."

"And?"

"I know how to do it, but there's a problem."

Ino frowned. Naruto's idea of a problem could vary wildly, from annoying-problem to lethal-to-everyone-but-him-problem. "That being?" she asked.

"Odds are very, very high that we aren't going to be able to hide this once we get started. Human chakra is always blue and the energy used by Outlings actually appears transparent to the human eye, but youki can be any color. Even mixed with chakra, the change is going to be noticeable sooner rather than later."

Ino let out a slow breath, leaning back against the wall. What he was really saying is that it would be obvious to those who knew about his real identity that she was being altered by him, though what conclusion they would draw from that she could only guess. They might attempt to separate them, possibly by force, out of some misguided attempt to "save" or "protect" her. She wouldn't stand for that, of course, but neither would Naruto, and his reaction was likely to be far more... destructive.

"Well... it's going to happen eventually, right?" she said.

Naruto nodded silently, waiting for her answer.

"They've known about you for months now and nothing crazy has happened yet. I mean, the Third managed to work with you, and Shikaku-jiji hasn't been acting any differently, even though he has to know as well."

"As things stand they don't have any sort of hold over me," Naruto countered. "They believe that all that is holding me back is my desire to avoid any further delays. If they realize where your loyalties lie, they may be willing to use you against me. They could even convince themselves that they are saving you from the evil demon who is, quite literally, stripping away your humanity. You _will_ be something other than human when all is said and done, after all.

"No," he continued, shaking his head. "Konoha is far more likely to view you as compromised, a casualty of war."

"Shikaku-jiji would never do that to me."

"Not even if they have reason to believe that I have altered your very being to my own ends? Potentially compromised ninja are quarantined at best, and are often only cleared after extensive examination by a Yamanaka. How are they going to do that with someone perfectly suited to either tricking or swaying the very people meant to clear them? If you try to conceal what you know about the Bijuu, about me, they'll be forced to take it as confirmation. If you don't, they'll _have _confirmation."

Ino hated to admit it, but he was right about that. There were plenty of things that T-and-I would take a rather dim view of: hiding Naruto's true nature; not reporting Itachi's presence within Konoha or the events of his defection; concealing Akatsuki's presence in Taki; going along with Kounori's plans...

Yeah, laid out like that, she couldn't even blame them. And, she admitted to herself, they would be right. She knew in the end that Konoha would be better off when Akatsuki was destroyed and didn't view her actions as being detrimental to Konoha's well-being, but ultimately her loyalty was to Naruto first, not Konoha.

It was that same loyalty that firmed her resolve now.

"Let's get started," she said. "If they decide to interfere, then so be it. I'm not going to hold myself back just to keep them happy."

Naruto grinned at her. "That's what I thought you'd say. Now then, I suggest you lie down."

Returning his grin, she stretched out on the floor. "So, what do you need to do?"

"Just some tweaks to your chakra coils and tenketsu, and some other tweaks with the rest of your chakra network," he replied. "Oh, and...," he trailed off as his youki washed over her, "I can't numb the pain for this, so it's probably going to hurt a bit," he finished quickly, his tone apologetic.

A bit? In Naruto-speak, that would be... Ino's eyes widened, but she didn't have time to complain before he started, and then she didn't have the capacity to do anything but endure.

* * *

-January 11th, 348 NE-

-Hokage's Office-

-1:30 AM-

"Team Eagle has just reported in, Hokage-sama. Subjects Rose and Thorn were both spotted entering the Location Storm. Subject Thorn activated the gate and allowed Subject Rose entry. Eagle is unable to see within Location Storm itself, so we have no information as to their purpose or activities within."

Shikaku sighed. While this narrowed down potential explanations for Kuushou's behavior considerably, this was one hunch that he would have very much preferred to be wrong about. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"Your orders, Hokage-sama?"

Shikaku motioned for the ANBU to wait as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Part of him wished that Hoka- Hiruzen were here to discuss the matter, but the old man had already shared everything he knew about "Naruto" and then purposefully removed himself from all decisions regarding their newest ally. Their review of past interactions had revealed that Kuushou was far too adept at reading the Hokage – and, more to the point, manipulating him – for their comfort. They both felt that a fresh approach and a fresh perspective were due; it should serve to throw Kuushou off of his game, if nothing else.

So.

Kuushou had full access to the Namikaze Compound, acquired during or shortly after the Chuunin Exams. The Bijuu had known of his parentage for some time, so that was not the trigger. If he could have entered the compound earlier, he would have done so before he knew his identity had been uncovered. The timeframe was less certain, but Shikaku felt that the initial entry into the compound occurred within two weeks of the invasion, when their watch on the Bijuu was at its most slack due to lack of manpower.

With his newly heightened clearance, Shikaku also knew that the blood of literally every ninja in Konoha had been tested against the gate over the years. Everyone _knew _that the the Fourth's mansion had locked itself down roughly two weeks after his death. Only five people knew that the lockdown had not been automatic, but coincided with the flight of Kushina and Tsunade from Konoha.

Shikaku sat up suddenly, his mind whirling. Something about the facts he was contemplating now had triggered something in his mind. He could see the board, but checkmate was eluding him. Where was the connection?

Could Kuushou possibly have made contact with Kushina or Tsunade? He had never been out of Konoha unsupervised, and had not left the confines of the village at all. Actually, that wasn't quite true - he left the village once, a few days after the Exams, in the company of Jiraiya for a training session.

Jiraiya, who was Naruto's godfather and close friend of Tsunade Senju - though exactly how close was a matter of long-standing speculation.

Tsunade Senju, who was known for her strength-enhancement technique that could shatter earth and human flesh with equal ease.

Sword and Hammer, the former of which wielded a _nodachi _and the latter of which bore no visible weapon, yet left shattered ground in their wake.

Sword and Hammer, whom Jiraiya trusted enough to provide passcodes allowing them access to Konoha should they wish it at a time when security was at its highest.

Sword and Hammer, who had a bitter confrontation with Itachi Uchiha, the missing-nin who once attempted to murder Naruto Uzumaki just prior to his defection.

Checkmate.

"Troublesome...," Shikaku muttered.

Kushina Uzumaki and Tsunade Senju, who had just handed a deadly weapon to Konoha's most dangerous ally and didn't even know it.

Jiraiya wasn't due to check in personally for another three months; he was devoting all of his efforts to investigating the destruction of Taki and the current state of Iwa. It was now obvious that Hiruzen's decision to not tell Jiraiya about Kuushou immediately was a mistake, but he couldn't afford to distract the man from investigating the village they would in all likelihood be warring against in the near future.

Of course, he hadn't told Inoichi yet either; his stomach churned uneasily at the thought of what this knowledge would do to the man. He was so _proud_ of his children, and he truly thought of Naruto as his own son, to the point where he occasionally forgot that Naruto was even adopted. But at the same time, the situation with Jiraiya just underscored the old maxim that secrets were often double-edged blades, and always sharper on the end facing you.

He set the issue to the back of his mind for further contemplation, and moved on.

He himself would be leaving in two days, bound for the Land of Iron and the Kage Summit. Hiruzen would be acting as Hokage while he was away, but he needed his own solution to the issue of the Bijuu. Something that wouldn't reveal their newfound knowledge of his activities, but something that would prevent him from getting anymore use out of the Namikaze Compound. Something to keep him away without arousing suspicion...

Shikaku smiled grimly as the solution presented itself, then picked up a pen and began drafting his orders.

* * *

-January 11th, 348 NE-

-4:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Conscious thought returned what felt like hours later. Ino opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was on fire. All she could do was whimper quietly, unable to form actual words.

"Shh," Naruto said softly as he wiped her forehead with a towel he'd gotten from somewhere. She could feel his youki washing over her, slowly soothing away all the sharp pains but leaving a dull ache behind that suffused her entire body. "Sleep now. You should have adjusted completely by the time morning rolls around."

Ino only had time to note that she was lying in her own bed in her own room before she felt her eyes drifting closed and let her consciousness fade away.

* * *

-January 13th, 348 NE-

-9:00 AM-

-Hokage Tower, Assignment Room-

"... border patrol? Really?" Ino groaned. "I thought they'd already shored up the Defense Forces?"

"We _are_ the best team to detect any possible incursions by foreign jinchuuriki," Hinata pointed out reasonably. She wasn't exactly thrilled about it either, but the situation with Iwa was making all of Konoha tense, and they were hardly the only team being moved to the Defense Forces in this latest redeployment.

"You guys got border patrol?" Kiba asked as he walked up, Akamaru trotting by his side. Shikamaru and Chouji sauntered up behind him. "Man, we got stuck with border check-ins."

"Yep," Naruto said, shrugging. "Sounds pretty boring, honestly. If Iwa was going to do something, they would have already struck."

"That point is reasonable," Shino responded as Team Kurenai joined the group, "but it is just as likely that Iwa seeks to slowly whittle down our forces. Coordinated strikes along the border would accomplish that goal."

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru volunteered. "This entire situation doesn't feel right." The rest of the group focused their attention on him, causing him to sigh. "Iwa's current strategy doesn't make any sense; either they are being too aggressive and have overextended themselves badly, or they aren't being aggressive enough and allowing the other villages too much time to respond. There has to be something else going on, and it doesn't bode well that we have no idea what it is."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps their attack on Taki didn't work out like they thought it would? Perhaps their jinchuuriki were injured, or found that using their powers like that had side effects they did not anticipate."

"That would be good for us, but I don't think we're that lucky," Shikamaru sighed.

"Has your dad said anything?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru wiped his hand over his face. "Not directly...," he confessed, "but he's been a lot more tense than usual lately, even accounting for his work as Hokage. And now with so many teams getting pulled onto patrols and other defensive tasks, the mess with the Archives, and the Kage Summit..."

Kiba growled lowly in his throat. "Shit man, you make it sound like Konoha could be in trouble. We're the strongest village! We'll show Iwa why they shouldn't mess with us and that'll be the end of it... right?" Even as he said it, his tone made it clear that even he didn't really believe it would be that easy.

Shikamaru eyed him wearily, a grim expression on his face, but said nothing. An uneasy silence fell over the group.

"Hey!" Ino said suddenly, clapping her hands together to dispel the rising tension. "There's no point worrying about any of that right now. All we can do is focus on getting stronger, so that we're ready to handle whatever comes our way."

Sasuke grunted in agreement, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. Just because you guys made it to chuunin first doesn't mean you can slack off. We'll end up surpassing you if you aren't careful."

"Yeah!" Kiba yelled in agreement. "You guys'll be stuck on the border while we have extra time to train. When you finally get back, we'll be ready to kick your asses!"

Naruto grinned in response. "The patrol only lasts three weeks, Kiba, not the years you'd need to have a chance."

Kiba grumbled in annoyance, and the conversation drifted towards more comfortable topics.

* * *

-January 19th, 348 NE-

-Land of Iron-

-9:45 AM-

Shikaku strolled into the meeting room, flanked by his best friends and teammates Inoichi Yamanaka and Chouza Akimichi. Each Kage was allowed two bodyguards while they were within the Land of Iron, and there was no one he would trust at his back more than those two.

His eyes swept the room as he made his way towards the table. He was the third Kage to arrive, as both the Kumo seat and the Kiri seat were occupied. Mifune-daishou was also present, talking quietly with one of his aids at the far end of the room.

The Raikage, a tall, dark-skinned man with slicked back white hair, a thin mustache, and a goatee, was accompanied by two kunoichi.

The first was pale-skinned, unusual for a Kumo-nin, and had dark blonde hair tightly bound in a ponytail that hung down to her waist. She wore a dark shirt and pants tied off with a red belt, and purple gloves. She also had a long string of beads tightly wound around her left forearm and hand.

The second kunoichi was dark-skinned, and had vibrant red-hair and piercing yellow eyes that were clearly visible even from across the room. She wore a dark shirt and pants of the same cut as the other kunoichi, tied off with a white belt. She also had a sword strapped across her back.

The Mizukage, an auburn-haired woman wearing a revealing blue dress, was accompanied by two men.

The first man wore a dark green robe that covered most of his body, leaving only his hand and a small portion of his chest exposed, showing that he had a mesh shirt underneath it. He had an eyepatch covering his right eye and wore his headband across his forehead. His silvery-gray hair swept upwards, coming together to form a rough point.

The other man wore a black shirt and black pants with gray, striped legwarmers and forearm warmers over them. He had a dark-gray jounin vest with an unusual patch on the left side of the vest, consisting of two concentric circles with the character for "one" in the middle and a sword stabbing through the entire design diagonally. He too wore his headband across his forehead, but the most prominent feature about him would have to be the enormous sword he wore across his back; the tip of the blade nearly scraped the floor while the hilt extended over his head by nearly a foot. He was easily the second-tallest man in the room, after the Raikage, and the sword was still longer than he was tall.

What concerned him most, however, was the fact that the Raikage and Mizukage had chosen seats on the same side of the table and were sitting fairly close to each other. Only three seats remained, two on the opposite side of the table and one in the middle, relatively isolated and directly across from Mifune-daishou's position.

"Greetings, Hokage-dono," the Mizukage said, speaking first and breaking the silence. "I must say I was quite surprised to receive your request for a Summit. I would have thought Konoha more than capable of dealing with their own problems...," she trailed off, smirking.

The Raikage chuckled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. "The Leaf is but a shadow of its former self. First they lose the Fourth, and now the Third has grown too old to lead."

"Funny you should say that," Shikaku interrupted, "I've always felt that being a _shadow_ is what a ninja should be." Chouza and Inoichi both audibly stifled their own chuckles at the sour expression on the Raikage's face as he realized he'd set himself up for that retort.

The Mizukage laughed as well, a soft, delicate sound. "Just so, Hokage-dono. I believe your two bodyguards make up the rest of the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio, do they not? Chouza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka?"

Shikaku nodded in confirmation. "Yes, my teammates and I have worked together since we were children. Even if I have a new title now, that has not and will not change. But what of your own companions? I recognize Zabuza Momochi, of course, the leader of the Seven Swordsmen, and the other must surely be Ao, a captain in your hunter-nin corps."

Shikaku frowned internally when he saw the Mizukage smirk at him and nod in agreement. She was not at all upset that he had correctly identified both ninja on sight; Zabuza was quite distinctive and high-profile, but Ao, despite his considerable skill, was relatively unknown outside of Kiri – one of the consequences of spending most of your career in the hunter-nin corps.

He turned his attention to the Kumo bodyguards next. "I trust that Yugito-san and Karui-san were pleasant company on the journey, Raikage-dono?" Based on Konoha's intelligence, the two kunoichi were both A-rank jounin, even if they weren't old enough or skilled enough to have earned the type of reputations his own team or Zabuza had.

"Enough with the pissing contest!" the Raikage barked, slamming his hand on the table and rising up out of his seat. "When the hell are you going to get to the point of this little gathering?"

Mifune-daishou spoke up for the first time since Shikaku had entered the room. "Please, have patience, Raikage-dono. Not all of the participants have arrived yet. I'm sure Hokage-dono will explain in due time."

The Raikage grumbled to himself, but settled back into his chair. Neither Yugito nor Karui had so much as twitched during his outburst, Shikaku noted; either they had iron-clad self-control or they were used to dealing with the Raikage.

The room settled into silence once more, each of the groups eying the others warily and conversing quietly amongst themselves. The doors opened once again a few minutes later, admitting the delegation from Suna.

Shikaku rose from his seat, smiling and making welcoming gestures towards the entering group. "Kazekage-dono, it's good to see you again," he greeted.

"Please, Hokage-dono, call me Baki," the Kazekage replied. He met Shikaku halfway to the table and shook hands, smiling the entire time. "This is Hiroshi Sakaba," he said, motioning to the middle-aged man with close-cropped black hair and a prominent scar on one cheek, "and I'm sure you remember Gaara."

Shikaku nodded, hiding his wariness of the jinchuuriki with practiced ease as he turned to greet each of the bodyguards in turn. The exchange was mostly a show, put on to impress the other Kages that Suna and Konoha had a strong alliance.

He frowned when he noticed that Gaara's gaze wasn't on him or his teammates, but rather somewhere behind him. He turned slightly, tracking his gaze out of the corner of his eye, and found that Gaara was focused intently on Yugito, and that the jounin was shifting uneasily, the first crack in her composure he'd seen since he had entered the room.

Gaara blinked, then turned his attention back to the people around him as if nothing had happened. "Greetings, Hokage-sama," he said formally, bowing slightly.

"I trust everything has been well, Sayama-san?" Shikaku asked.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Gaara replied flatly.

Well, clearly the months since they had last met had done nothing to improve the jinchuuriki's conversational skills. Once the rest of the pleasantries were out of the way, they settled back into their positions at the table, the Suna group taking the position next to the Konoha group in a further show of solidarity.

Shikaku frowned internally. Once the Iwa delegation arrived, they would be seated in the middle, leaving Kiri and Kumo on one side and Konoha and Suna on the other.

Less than a minute later, the doors opened one last time to admit a single ninja wearing an Iwa headband. He was older, with solidly gray hair and a lined face, but he wore a crisp jounin uniform and carried himself with pride. He walked slowly but firmly to the table, coming to a stop behind the sole remaining empty chair.

Shikaku stared at the ninja with his eyes narrowed, his mind whirling.

"Very well then," Mifune said clearly, "since we are all present, I hereby declare the start of the Kage Summit. As the-"

"Wait a minute!" the Raikage roared, thundering to his feet once again. "You mean the Tsuchikage isn't coming?"

Mifune frowned at the interruption, but nodded. "The Tsuchikage sent his regrets, but stated that due to pressing matters within his village he could not possibly attend himself. He sent his Jounin Commander in his place."

Shikaku frowned; the Iwa-nin was _not _Iwa's Jounin Commander, or at least hadn't been as of one month ago. Their intelligence on Iwa was a bit spotty, but they weren't about to overlook a major change like that.

The Raikage clenched his fists, his knuckles audibly cracking. "Pressing matters, huh?" he muttered darkly. He settled back into his chair, his attention fixed on the Iwa-nin. To the Iwa-nin's credit, he didn't appear unnerved as he endured the attention.

The Mizukage spoke next, her warm voice taking on a distinctly chilly tone. "It seems that the Tsuchikage feels he has no need to observe the traditions among the Villages."

Mifune cleared his throat. "Please, let us address the issues before the Summit in an orderly manner. As the village who called for the Summit, Konoha shall speak first."

"Thank you, Mifune-daishou," Shikaku said, rising from his seat.

* * *

**A/N: Not a whole lot to add for this one. I expect a good portion of the next chapter will be dealing with the meeting and events occurring immediately afterwards.**

**Don't have as much buffer as I would like, so the next chapter is probably two weeks out. On the other hand, I should have new chapters for both of my other fics up in the meantime.  
**

**The "three ninja within Konoha" who have the Hiraishin tattoo are meant to be the Yondaime's bodyguards, who canonically can perform the jutsu when all three work together. The others should be fairly self-explanatory, including the now-abandoned rooms in various places. **

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	45. A Meeting of Minds, Part II

-January 19th, 348 NE-

-Land of Iron-

-10:15 AM-

Shikaku paused a moment, his gaze sweeping around the room. Baki, who was already familiar with the situation, was watching him with polite interest. Mei was leaned back in her chair, idly twirling a strand of her hair around her finger while È was leaning forward with his elbows planted on the table, glowering at him and the Iwa representative in equal measure. The Iwa-nin stood at attention behind the chair reserved for the Tsuchikage, his face blank and impassive.

"As you have no doubt heard by now," Shikaku began, "on January Third Taki was attacked. As of three days ago Konoha has only managed to rescue a single survivor from Taki. The village itself was completely razed, the ground beneath it sunken such that the surrounding lake has actually covered whatever remains may have been left."

The other people in the room listened silently, none revealing any notable reaction to the news.

"A diplomatic envoy happened to be en route to Taki the day the attack took place, and the escorting team were the ones who encountered the sole survivor. After ensuring that he would live out the day, the team immediately set out to ascertain the situation. The members of the team included members from some of Konoha's more prominent clans, including one of our more gifted ninja with sensory enhancements, and they determined that no less than two jinchuuriki were involved in the attack."

Mei leaned forward slightly at that, her bored demeanor giving way to interest, while the È let out a small grunt.

"That team's findings were confirmed by the testimony we managed to get from the survivor, who described both the Four-Tailed and the Five-Tailed beasts in precise detail."

Attention shifted to the Iwa-nin for a moment, who had paled and begun to sweat lightly.

"Further, neither the team nor the survivor indicated that Taki's jinchuuriki was involved in the battle in any way, suggesting that she either was neutralized prior to or early in the attack, or possibly defected willingly."

Mei's eyes had narrowed thoughtfully, and È was beginning to emanate a bit of killing intent, all focused on the unfortunate Iwa-nin.

"In addition to that, damning enough as it is, we have also found multiple areas around Taki where returning teams or escaping ninja were killed, all of them dying to either weapons or earth jutsu. One group in particular has an estimated time of death that places their demise approximately two hours _prior _to the attack. Of the four Taki-nin killed, three were crushed by a stone prison of some sort.

"Based on this information," Shikaku concluded, "Konoha believes that Iwa has violated numerous treaties and has given us sufficient cause to declare war." He motioned to Inoichi, who stepped forward and began handing out a thick folder to each of the delegations. In each case one of the bodyguards took the folder and gave it a thorough inspection before placing it in front of their respective Kage.

"These folders contain copies of all evidence and testimony gathered by Konoha in regards to this matter. Konoha will now yield the floor to allow Iwa's representative to explain their actions."

"Thank you, Hokage-dono," Mifune intoned, his voice grave. "The Land of Iron has heard of the destruction of Taki as well, and we grieve for the senseless loss of life incurred in such an attack." He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the room as if waiting for someone else to speak. Both Mei and È were quickly flipping through the documents, occasionally lingering on a page. "Before Iwa speaks," he said, "does any other village wish to offer additional information that they may have uncovered in regards to the attack?"

Baki inclined his head slightly, and Mifune motioned for him to speak. "We happened to pass by Taki's former location on our way to this Summit." he began. "As I'm sure you are all aware," he said, a wry smile on his face, "Gaara is the jinchuuriki for the One-Tailed Beast, and he was able to confirm the presence of two – and _only_ two – signatures that he recognized as belonging to other jinchuuriki. For the traces to linger so long after the actual events took place, a truly massive amount of chakra must have been used. This only further supports the conclusion that jinchuuriki were involved in the attack."

Shikaku noticed that Gaara was once more staring at Yugito, and that Baki was looking at È with a small smirk on his face. The Raikage met his gaze impassively, his expression giving no hint to what he was thinking. If that exchange meant what he thought it did, he would have to reevaluate some of the information Konoha had on the Raikage.

What possible reason would he have for bringing Kumo's hidden jinchuuriki to the Summit? Did he believe the other nations knew her identity? _Did _the other nations know prior to this, and Konoha's own network had somehow managed to miss such an important piece of information? Did he believe that no one would be able to detect that she was a jinchuuriki? Did he intend to expose her at this time, and if so, what did Kumo gain from that?

He refocused his attention on the meeting as Mifune-daishou asked the Iwa-nin to speak.

"Thank you, Mifune-daishou," the Iwa-nin replied. "I would like to begin by apologizing for my Kage's inability to attend. Certain matters have arisen within Iwa that demand his full and complete attention, and for the sake of the village he dared not leave at this time. No disrespect or insult was intended."

The Kages stared back at him, their expressions clearly conveying that they were neither impressed with his explanation nor mollified by his apology. He cleared his throat roughly and continued.

"As for the incident with Taki, Iwa categorically denies any and all involvement or knowledge of the attack. We-"

That was as far as he got before he choked on his words as the combined killing intent of four Kages drove him to his knees.

"Please!" Mifune-daishou shouted as he rose to his feet. "Allow the man to explain himself!"

"If all he's going to do is try to feed us bullshit," È replied, "I'm not going to bother listening."

"I understand your anger, Raikage-dono, but we will not be able to get to the bottom of this matter without hearing from _all _sides."

The killing intent slowly tapered off, and the Iwa-nin slowly forced himself back to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Konoha has provided no proof that Iwa is in any way involved with the attack," the Iwa-nin panted out. "Even assuming that two jinchuuriki were involved, Konoha and Suna between them could have done that just as easily, or even Kumo. Even Kiri could have done that – there is nothing to prove that their supposedly missing jinchuuriki actually left the village."

"Before we pursue that line of argument any further," Mifune said, "let us deal with the issue at hand. Konoha has called for this Summit, and it is my judgment as the mediator that their evidence is compelling. Iwa must first offer sufficient evidence that they are not at fault before accusing others of this attack."

The Iwa-nin looked pained, but didn't press the issue.

"So, what evidence or explanation can you provide?" Mifune pressed.

The Iwa-nin scanned the room, looking hesitant, before his shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Iwa cannot possibly be responsible for this attack, because Iwa does not have control of any jinchuuriki."

There was no killing intent this time, as the entire room was stunned into silence.

"Since when?" Mei asked slowly, her tone hard. "If your excuse is that both of your jinchuuriki just _happened _to go missing shortly before the attack took place, I'm afraid you will find no sympathy from Kiri."

The Iwa-nin didn't reply immediately, apparently struggling with what he was going to say. "Our jinchuuriki have been missing for nearly sixteen years."

Mifune-daishou spoke up next, a steel edge entering his voice. "Regardless of your involvement in Taki's destruction," he said softly, "hiding such important information from the other nations could in and of itself be considered an act of war. The Land of Iron will not ignore that, and I'm sure the other nations will be most interested to hear about Iwa's actions as well."

The Iwa-nin jerked slightly, but nodded. "Iwa is prepared to offer gestures of apology to the other nations. However, no harm has befallen the other nations due to the actions of a rogue jinchuuriki, and there are no treaties compelling us to announce this information."

"Unless you count Taki, that is," Mei retorted, grinning. "To not even report them as missing-nin, though... I wonder what you thought would happen...," she trailed off.

È smirked. "You are hardly one to talk, Mizukage-dono," he said. "Your village managed to lose _both _of your jinchuuriki as well, and one of them was your Kage on top of that."

Mei shrugged, her amusement not fading in the slightest. "We reported the losses shortly after they occurred," she replied. "Kiri's power does not rely on such things."

"Please, let us return to the topic at hand," Mifune-daishou interrupted.

"I have not been directed to discuss the Tsuchikage's potential motivations for his decision," the Iwa-nin continued.

Shikaku snorted. "The answer is obvious, isn't it? You were _afraid_. The timeframe you give places their loss shortly after Iwa's resounding defeat at the hands of the Fourth Hokage. Iwa's two jinchuuriki, one of the greatest deterrents to any invasion of Iwa itself, coupled with the catastrophic loss of life incurred... the Tsuchikage no doubt decided if news got out, Konoha or Suna would immediately invade to finish them off."

The Iwa-nin bristled, but made no reply.

"Even so," Shikaku continued, his attention shifting to the other Kages. "We have no evidence that Iwa is actually telling the truth. However, Konoha possesses the ability to track the jinchuuriki based on their signature, and I'm sure the other villages have some means to do so as well. If we are allowed access to Iwagakure and anywhere else we deem necessary, _and _we determine that you are telling the truth, then Konoha would be willing to accept that Iwa was not responsible for the attack on Taki."

"It would depend on the exact terms," Mei added, "but Kiri agrees to that proposal in principle."

"As does Suna," Baki chimed in.

"That will not be possible," the Iwa-nin responded. "Iwa considers this entire situation an attempt to frame our village and undermine our security. As such, effective from today our borders are closed to all foreign ninja. Any attempts to enter Iwa territory will be considered an act of aggression and will be met with force."

Mei laughed softly. "So Iwa refuses to cooperate in any fashion, hmm? For a village protesting their innocence, you are certainly doing nothing to actually prove it."

The Iwa-nin nodded tersely. "Our village will do what it must to protect itself from whoever seeks to destroy us."

The Raikage slammed his hand down on the table once again, cracking it slightly. "I'm sick of this bullshit," he shouted as he shot to his feet. He pointed at the Iwa-nin threateningly, a thunderous expression on his face. "I didn't come all this way to listen to some no-name piece of shit tell us all to go fuck ourselves!"

"Raikage-dono, please calm yourself," Mifune said, sounding slightly annoyed and exasperated. "In fact, I think we could all do with a short break. Let us reconvene in two hours, after we have all had time to refresh ourselves and master our tempers."

* * *

-11:30 AM-

"What do you make of this, Baki?" Shikaku asked as the Suna and Konoha groups settled into their chairs. The two groups had exited the meeting together and decided to adjourn to Konoha's suite, as it was closer.

Rather than answering, Baki turned to Gaara with an inquisitive expression.

"The blonde is a jinchuuriki," he said without preamble, "but she's not quite like Naruto. She feels...," he paused, apparently struggling with how to describe whatever it was he had sensed, "warm."

Shikaku's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had expected something along the lines of weaker or more diluted, but _warm_? What was that supposed to mean? An association with fire, perhaps?

"Why would the Raikage risk bringing Kumo's unknown jinchuuriki to this meeting?" Hiroshi asked, his hand absentmindedly rubbing his scar.

"He may not have expected to run across anyone who could actually tell what she was," Shikaku replied. "Is there any chance that Kumo was involved in the attack? Did her signature match what you felt at Taki?"

Gaara shook his head. "No," he replied simply.

"What is Iwa playing at?" Chouza asked next, his chair creaking as he leaned back. "It's like they're trying their hardest just to piss everyone else off."

"If you take their explanation at face value, their actions are mostly consistent. The fact that the Tsuchikage didn't even bother to show up, however, concerns me; the man may be old, but he is far from stupid. He had to know the other villages would take that as an insult, so either he's become so arrogant he just doesn't care or he felt there was a serious threat that prevented him from leaving his village... or he's busy preparing to invade."

"Do you think someone else has control of those jinchuuriki now? Another village, perhaps?" Inoichi asked.

Shikaku rubbed his hand over his face. "It's possible," he said, "but unlikely compared to Iwa trying to manipulate the situation in their favor. Their scenario clears them of the attack on Taki, but their actions prevent anyone from actually proving that that's what really happened. Even worse, their decision to close their borders 'for security' also makes it more difficult to keep an eye on their forces."

He sighed, suddenly looking tired. "And since Iwa has basically refused to cooperate or provide any meaningful proof that they were not involved, we have to move forward with this."

* * *

-Same Time-

Ao focused on his byakugan eye, struggling to make out what the ninja from the other delegations were saying. The lone Iwa ninja wasn't speaking, naturally, although it might have been amusing if he had been.

Kumo hadn't even bothered to erect privacy seals, and they were currently eating lunch. The Raikage was glowering at nothing, and Yugito and Karui were talking quietly, discussing nothing important that he could discern.

It was the Suna and Konoha delegations he focused on, however, and he'd already picked up on one rather interesting tidbit.

"It seems that Gaara has met Konoha's jinchuuriki, someone named Naruto. That name sounds very familiar...," Ao said, rubbing his chin.

"What."

Ao shuddered at the Mizukage's tone. It was perfectly flat and controlled, but there was an undertone of anger that worried him.

"Naruto...," Zabuza mused, rubbing his chin. "Wasn't there a Naruto Yamanaka that made it to the Chuunin Exam finals? Supposedly some sort of hotshot genin in Konoha. Guess now we know why."

Ao cleared his throat uncomfortably when he felt the temperature in the room rising. Even Zabuza was eying Mei warily, shifting slightly as if preparing to move away quickly. It wasn't often that the Mizukage was angry enough to subconsciously channel her bloodline, but everyone knew to walk very carefully when she was.

"Ao... keep watching them," she snapped, her eyes distant. "I want to know everything I can before our meeting with the Raikage." The temperature in the room slowly stabilized as her thoughts turned inward.

Ao and Zabuza shared a quick glance before Ao turned his attention back to the Konoha group.

* * *

-3:00-

The meeting resumed on schedule, but nothing useful came of it. The Iwa-nin refused to budge from his position, and the assembled Kages grew increasingly annoyed and frustrated with his stance.

It eventually ended as Shikaku had known it would since the Iwa-nin had declared that Iwa was closing its borders.

"Konoha, Kiri, Kumo, and Suna have all declared their borders closed to Iwa and its allies until such time as Iwa agrees to allow representatives from each of those villages to investigate Iwa's claims that it no longer has control of any jinchuuriki, and specifically not the jinchuuriki involved in the destruction of Taki," Mifune intoned formally.

His gaze focused on the Iwa-nin. "I would add that I have personally been disappointed with Iwa's attitude and unwillingness to cooperate or compromise during this Summit. After conferring with my Daimyo, and speaking as My Lord's official representative in this matter, I hereby add the Land of Iron to the list of countries which have closed their borders to Iwa and its allies until such time as you prove willing to cooperate. My Lord will be communicating with the other nations soon, and I fully expect that we will not be the last to do so."

The Iwa-nin looked very pale, but he stood stiffly at attention as Mifune continued.

"For all of our sakes, I hope Iwa comes to its senses before it come to outright war," he concluded. "Do you have anything to add?"

The Iwa-nin drew in a deep breath. "I can only reiterate that Iwa was in no way involved with the attack on Taki. Speaking personally," he said, his expression slipping slightly, "it is my belief that one of the other villages represented here today is manipulating the situation to their own benefit." The way his gaze focused on Shikaku made it clear just which village he chose to blame.

"You have made your thoughts on the subject abundantly clear," Mifune replied. "If no one has anything further to add, I hereby declare this Summit concluded."

* * *

-January 25th, 348 NE-

-Land of Fire, Near the Western Border-

-9:00 AM-

"Do you think Shikaku-jiji is back in Konoha now?" Ino asked idly as she leapt from tree to tree. They had been on patrol for over two weeks and she was starting to go a bit crazy with pent up energy. She couldn't practice the Hiraishin, she couldn't work on her bastardized Sage training, and she couldn't even go through her normal training routine. Just jump from tree to tree, going back and forth over the same area day in and day out. The very idea of border patrol had sounded terrible before, but now she absolutely _loathed _it.

"Probably," Naruto replied. "The Summit shouldn't have taken very long. Chances are we'll get pulled off of border patrol soon to go traipsing through Iwa searching for any signs of jinchuuriki."

"_Joy_," Ino groaned. She would have said something more, but Hinata jerked to a stop and motioned for silence. Her byakugan was activated and she seemed to be very tense.

"One of the other patrols just deviated from their route," she said distractedly. "They are intercepting a group of four ninja, all of them wearing Iwa headbands."

"Let's go," Naruto said quickly, changing course in the direction Hinata indicated.

A few seconds later Hinata hissed in anger. "The Iwa-nin are attacking."

Naruto didn't bother to say anything further; the flare of chakra he gave off as he rocketed forward was all the answer Ino and Hinata needed as to their response. They both poured on all the speed they could and were just barely able to keep Naruto in sight.

Hinata kept talking as they ran and jumped, informing her of what was happening even as they closed in on the battle. "One Konoha ninja is down, dead. Another inj- no, dead. One Iwa-nin injured and withdrawing. A third Konoha-nin down, injured."

Hinata's monologue came to a halt as Naruto ripped into the battle, both of them following on his heels.

Ino quickly surveyed the battlefield. Several trees looked like they had exploded, large chunks of wood dotting the area and a few sharper ones embedded in the ground and other trees. There were two large scorch marks on the ground, and several holes coming out of the earth.

Even as she watched one of the Iwa-nin, encased in what looked like solid rock, shot forward with surprising speed and crushed the last standing member of the original patrol to the ground. Whatever he had planned to do afterward quickly became moot when Naruto appeared behind him and placed a hand on the rock surrounding the ninja. There was a brief pause, then the ninja appeared to implode, leaving behind a mass of gory rock.

The two Iwa-nin still in the clearing paused, clearly shocked, then split up. Hinata followed one and she took the other. The ninja she was pursuing was fast, but clearly wasn't as used to operating in dense forest as she was. While he stuck to the ground, occasionally pushing off a tree to assist in a rapid change in direction, she followed from the treetops, leaping from branch to branch with practiced ease.

She pulled out two explosive kunai and launched them forward, one ahead of the fleeing ninja and the other to his left. As expected, the ninja dodged right to evade and ran straight into her Lightning Whip.

And that's when something unexpected happened.

The ninja _caught_ her whip with his _bare hands_, and a flare of chakra sent a counter-current running back along its length. The unexpected counterattack almost reached her, and she barely disconnected herself from the technique in time.

"The fuck?" she muttered to herself.

"Sorry, little girl," the ninja said as he looked up at her. "You'll need to do better than that."

His hands blurred and Ino began frantically dodging a rapid barrage of kunai. She made good use of the cover the trees provided, but every time she caught sight of her opponent he was a little bit closer and the kunai were a little bit harder to dodge.

She tried using a few bunshin to throw him off, but he was much better at telling the real one apart from the illusions that she would have expected, as he unerringly pursued her no matter how threatening or evasive the clones behaved. Gritting her teeth, she began rapidly bouncing from tree to tree, changing directions at random and moving without any sort of pattern or purpose. A series of bunshin zipped through the trees along with her, all of them eventually fading into the distance while the real Ino nestled high in the branches of a tree, her hands poised in front of her mouth as if she was preparing to use a breath technique.

A few seconds later, her opponent appeared behind her, kunai raised to deliver the killing blow. Before he even had a chance to swing the kunai down, his body jerked slightly. He abruptly dropped the kunai he was holding to catch Ino's limp body before it could topple out of the tree.

"Asshole," he muttered to himself as he hoisted Ino's body over his shoulder. He began slowly making his way to the site of the original battle, idly searching through his pouches with one hand.

The man reached the clearing to find Hinata sealing away the dead bodies into a set of scrolls while Naruto tended to the surviving Konoha-nin.

"Got one captured," the man announced as he gently placed Ino's body against a tree. He stripped all of the equipment off of his own body, then pulled a spool of ninja wire out of a pouch and began binding his own legs tightly. "What's the plan from here?"

"Report to the nearest outpost to inform them of what happened and get new orders," Naruto said, sounding bored as he stared down at the newly healed and unconscious ninja. "Given that Iwa is attacking Konoha patrols, I'd say the Summit didn't turn out so well."

* * *

-February 18th, 348 NE-

-Sunagakure, Kazekage's Office-

-3:00 PM-

Baki rubbed his forehead tiredly. "How many did we lose this time?"

"Two patrols were attacked, both squads of chuunin," the Scorpion-masked ANBU said. "Their attackers launched a quicksand technique to trap or slow them followed up by long-range bombardment with boulders – the same hit-and-run tactics as all the others. Only one chuunin died, but two others were heavily injured. No casualties reported among the attackers."

"_Only_ chuunin patrols were attacked?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," the ANBU replied. "We are currently investigating the possibility of a security leak, but it seems more likely that the attackers were simply judging the strength of the individual patrols and choosing their targets accordingly."

Baki nodded his head, drumming his fingers on the desk as he thought. Konoha was experiencing similar raids, all originating from the areas of their border closest to Iwa. They had managed to capture a few of the ninja responsible in the initial raids, only to find that every single one of them was a missing-nin – one of them from Konoha itself, no less.

Iwa denied that they were responsible, just as they had denied responsibility for everything else. And just like everything else, they refused to budge from their position or offer any shred of meaningful evidence or assistance.

And while the political bickering continued to no real purpose, Suna and Konoha ninja continued to die. Konoha had actually sustained more losses, but they could absorb those losses more easily. Suna's ninja population was on the low side before the civil war, and the losses incurred during that day had only made the situation worse. Every chuunin and jounin death pushed them ever closer to the point where they would no longer be able to protect their own lands – their mission income was already severely curtailed, and likely to get even worse before it got better.

Baki had been hoping to avoid making this particular decision, but if he didn't act now the situation might devolve to the point where having reserves wouldn't make a difference.

"Instruct Team Gaara to report to my office immediately."

* * *

-3:30 PM-

"You called, Kazekage-sama?" Kankuro asked, amusement tinging his voice. He never ceased to find it amusing that their teacher had gone from political outcast to ruling the village over the course of a week. His slight grin faltered when he noted the grim expression on his former teacher's face.

"Yes, I did," Baki said. "As I'm sure you are aware, groups of ninja have been raiding our borders off and on for the last month, and all evidence, such as it is, points to Iwa being responsible. The situation has not been resolved diplomatically and we continue to sustain losses with each passing day."

Temari and Kankuro nodded grimly, while Gaara just stared at him impassively.

"As of this moment, your team is hereby assigned to the border, but you won't be part of the normal patrol rotation. Instead, you will be tasked with aggressively pursuing any attackers and eliminating the threat they pose. Capture if possible, but your first priority is to neutralize them, however you accomplish that."

"How aggressively?" Gaara asked, a glint in his eye.

"You are to continue pursuit until such time as you consider the targets lost or you are specifically instructed to turn back by one of the other nations' patrols. Other than that, only stop pursuing if the target crosses into hostile territory, such as Iwa. In that case, return and report that fact as soon as possible."

Gaara nodded, a small grin on his face.

* * *

-March 2nd, 348 NE-

Kakashi let out a small grunt as Hinata's kick grazed his side. He switched himself with a log the next moment, allowing her follow-up to strike the wood instead of his torso.

"That's good," he said, holding up his hand to show that the sparring session was done for the moment.

His team happened to be in Konoha at the same time he was for the first time in quite a while, and he was taking advantage of that fact to work with them one-on-one to judge their progress and provide some direction should they need it.

Naruto was coming along nicely, as expected, but was actually focusing most of his efforts on fuinjutsu, an area where his knowledge had already outstripped Kakashi's own. Ino was delving deeper and deeper into her family's techniques, but she had recently acquired a fascination with espionage and infiltration that he was only too happy to help her with. She had a real talent for it, her natural gift as an actress working hand-in-hand with her skill at reading people acquired from her family's teachings to produce something incredibly rare and effective.

Hinata on the other hand had taken his challenge to adapt the Jyuuken to include kicks as well and worked wonders with it. He had known it was theoretically possible, but had also expected Hinata to run into far more practical limitations than she had.

"I'm glad to see that you have refined your technique so well."

Hinata nodded, a small smile on her face. "Thank you, sensei. I couldn't have done this without your help."

"Well..., I wouldn't go that far," he demurred. "Still, I believe it's time to move on to something else."

"Actually, sensei, there was one other thing I wanted to show you before we moved on."

"Oh?" Kakashi asked, intrigued.

She nodded and slipped into a stance. "Please block as you normally would against me," she requested.

He shrugged and nodded, and when she leapt forward on the attack he kept his focus on her hands and feet, making sure that they never made direct contact with any part of his body. It was on the third pass, when his hand slapped against her forearm to divert her attack, that he felt it. His hand burned and spasmed, prompting him to stop in shock.

Hinata moved backwards, an uncharacteristic grin on her face. "I actually got the idea from one of my discussions with Neji," she said. "The Kaiten expels chakra from every tenketsu in a specific way, and I had already proven that I could use the Jyuuken strikes with more than just my hands, so why not the other tenketsu as well?"

"You... can do that anywhere?" Kakashi finally managed.

Hinata's expression dimmed slightly. "Not quite anywhere," she admitted. "Only the major tenketsu, and only for short bursts. It's also not quite enough to seal tenketsu completely, but a solid strike should serve to disrupt their chakra network."

Kakashi nodded, rubbing his hand.

"I am impressed," he said. "I thought the idea of adding kicks to the Jyuuken style and multiplying the available angles of attack would be powerful, but you've managed to come up with something beyond that. Once you hone that to the same degree you have your other Jyuuken abilities, I can honestly say that I would hesitate to engage you in taijutsu at all."

He allowed Hinata to consider that for a moment, enjoying watching one of his students bask in well-earned praise, before he cleared his throat.

"That does bring me to the issue I was going to raise before, however. The majority of your training has focused on taijutsu in an effort to maximize your potential there; I would personally rate you as an A-rank threat already, well on your way to S-rank in that regard. Outside of taijutsu and close-range, however, is a different story."

Hinata's expression turned serious, her pride and excitement set aside for the moment as she focused on his words.

"On your own, you lack any meaningful long-range capability. Your byakugan makes it difficult to surprise you, but you can still be pinned down or surrounded. Even beyond that, the fact that most of your strengths lie at close-range limits your versatility in terms of the missions you can take. In fact, this is yet another area where I personally feel that your clan as a whole has been remarkably blind. And yes, I use that word intentionally," he added, seeing Hinata's lips quirk slightly.

"I have several ideas I would like you to pursue, but the first is the one I consider the most promising. There is one water jutsu in particular that I picked up in the last war – I never did learn the name for it and I've never seen anyone else use it, but I think of it as Suisogeki no Jutsu, or the Water Sniping Technique..."

* * *

**A/N: Not much to say on this one. The Summit was a bitch to write, but I got through it and think I conveyed everything I wanted to.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	46. The Die Is Cast

-March 15th, 348 NE-

-Kirigakure, Mizukage's Residence, Private Training Ground-

Itachi stared down at the custom tag in his hands, the almost inaudible hiss indicating that it was active and about to discharge its stored chakra in a single explosive burst. His sharingan was activated and his eyes were whirling as he watched carefully, noting the small fluctuations within the seal as the chakra stored within shifted. When the chakra reached the triggering array in a progression that he had become intimately familiar with, the tag ruptured, filling the clearing with a storm of fire and smoke.

The conflagration vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Itachi standing in the middle of a ring of scorched earth, his clothing and skin unmarred by the blast. He dropped the ashen remains of the tag and deactivated his sharingan, nodding to himself in satisfaction. It was time to move on to the next step of his new technique.

"That is still disturbing to watch," he heard Mei say from the edge of the clearing. He turned, his eyes taking in her slim form appreciatively even as he noticed the tension in her frame.

Too much tension, especially for something created by a scene she had witnessed many times before.

"I was informed that you had returned earlier," she continued, slowly walking towards him. "I thought I might find you here."

Itachi nodded, remaining silent as he continued to study her.

"I've been wanting to speak to you about a particular matter for some time," she said, her voice soft as she stopped just inches away from him and laid her hand gently on his cheek. Her hand was warm and soft, and he turned his head slightly into it.

No. It was _too warm_.

Before he could react, her hand closed around his throat and lifted him into the air, the heat singing the skin on his neck even as the pressure slowly cut off his oxygen. His eyes activated immediately, the tomoe spinning wildly and revealing the barely suppressed chakra roiling under her skin and etching the angry and betrayed look on her face into his memory.

"When I asked you about Konoha's jinchuuriki," she hissed, "you swore that you had never seen information about him even when you were in ANBU, that you had never even _met _him. So imagine my surprise when I find out that the jinchuuriki you _knew nothing about_ was none other than _Naruto Yamanaka_, the child you trained for almost _two years_. You _lied _to me, Itachi. Did you think I would never find out? Or did you have some plan that would be accomplished before I knew? Is this all just some elaborate plot by Konoha to plant a spy in Kiri?"

Itachi stared down at her, saying nothing. After a moment, he deliberately shut off his sharingan and looked into her eyes.

Her surprise was evident, and her grip loosened for a moment. She drew in a deep breath, closing her own eyes and reining in her chakra. She then opened her eyes and dropped him, letting him land lightly on his feet.

"I want answers, Itachi," she said at length, her voice cold. "If you can't do that to my satisfaction, you won't be leaving here alive."

Itachi brought his hand up to his throat, the appendage glowing green as he healed the light burns on his skin.

"You will have your answers, but I ask that you allow me to explain without interruptions," he said calmly.

Her brow twitched and her lips twisted into a light scowl, but she nodded.

"Technically speaking, I have not once lied to you." He held up his hand, interrupting her angry retort. "What I have done is carefully chosen my words and twisted the truth in an attempt to... I suppose _not choose_ would be the best way to put it. I have made it clear from the beginning that I retained contacts within Konoha, and that I viewed the village as a whole as neither an ally nor an enemy.

"While I kept certain information to myself, I could maintain my affiliation with those contacts while still operating more or less independently, a situation that I found personally ideal. My contact asked little of me and was pleased with the information I provided; he cared not who I chose to work with otherwise. I knew a time would come where I would have to choose, but until that time I was content to remain silent."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Mei snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin.

"The very day I activated my sharingan, I was told that a young boy named Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Many clans within Konoha were able to detect the beast's presence due to the unusual way the seal worked. I first encountered him shortly after he was adopted by the Yamanaka clan, and I knew immediately that something was wrong. My suspicion continued to grow over the years until one day I discovered the truth."

Itachi eyed Mei, noting that her anger was slowly giving way to curiosity. He drew in a deep breath, preparing to set himself upon a path that could so easily lead to his ruin. The rewards if he could successfully navigate his way through the coming conflict, however, were worth the price.

"That truth, the information that I have never revealed to another, the information that only a handful of beings in the entire world know," he continued, his eyes boring into Mei's as he tried to convey how serious he was, "is that Naruto Yamanaka does not exist."

She narrowed her eyes at him, her anger rapidly returning. "It would be wise to dispense with the word games, Itachi," she growled.

"I speak the literal truth, Mei," he said. "The boy everyone knows as Naruto Yamanaka does not exist; he never has. What stands in his place is one of the most dangerous beings to ever walk the Elemental Nations – the Nine-Tailed Beast."

Mei stared at him, her eyes slowly widening and the blood draining from her face. "That's impossible," she whispered.

"Nearly everyone would agree, which is a large part of the why he has been able to successfully hide his identity for so long," Itachi said, relaxing slightly as he realized Mei was truly listening to him.

"You need to understand something, Mei," he continued. "This coming war between Konoha, Suna, and Iwa, the war that you and Kumo are working to make a reality, is just a distraction designed to hide the ones truly responsible."

That snapped Mei out of her shock. "Then Iwa really was framed? Was it Konoha and Suna after all?"

Itachi shook his head. "An organization known as Akatsuki were the one's behind the attack on Taki."

"What village do they belong to?" Mei asked, her eyes narrowed.

"And _that_ is why all of the Great Villages have fallen into this trap," Itachi sighed. "Akatsuki does not report to a village at all – Akatsuki in its entirety is made up of no more than ten people, all S-class ninja."

"There is no way that ten ninja, no matter how strong, could possibly challenge the might of one of the Great Villages – not even Suna is that weak, if only be-" Mei cut herself off, her eyes widening once more as her mind finally made the connections with what she was hearing.

"Because they have a jinchuuriki?" Itachi finished, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "My sources tell me that Akatsuki controls _four._ Akatsuki has enough power to topple any one of the villages, as they have already proven with Taki. Only a united front could seriously threaten them now... and what are the villages doing?"

Mei looked pained.

"Exactly. Turning on each other like jackals."

Mei began chewing on her thumbnail as her eyes grew distant. "We need to inform the other villages," she muttered. "Begin planning how to counter them..."

Itachi shook his head. "And tell them what? That a mysterious source told you it wasn't Iwa after all? Or that _I _told you? Are you going to admit that you have sent missing-nin disguised as Iwa-nin to harass Konoha and Suna's borders, and the reverse to Iwa? That Kumo has done the same?

"It's too late for that, Mei. Gaara has already been deployed to Suna's borders, and he has skirted very close to entering Iwa territory twice already. Iwa will be _forced _to respond, and the Tsuchikage is too proud to back down now; he believes that Konoha and Suna are responsible, after all, and he has hated Konoha ever since the Third War."

Mei was silent for a few minutes, her mind racing as she absorbed this new information. Finally, she looked up at Itachi, her eyes narrowed.

"Where does the Nine-Tailed Beast fit into all of this?"

* * *

-March 18th, 348 NE-

-Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office-

The tension in the room was thick, and none of the ninja present seemed willing to break the stifling silence.

"How many?" the Tsuchikage repeated, his voice firm.

The ninja standing directly in front of him swallowed thickly. "Fourteen, Tsuchikage-sama."

The old man leaned back in his chair, hiding his wince as his bones shifted with practiced ease. His body was old; _he _was old. He had hoped to see his village once more standing at the top of the Elemental Nations before he passed on, but it was looking increasingly likely that his village would actually perish before he did.

"Were the attackers identified?"

"The survivors sighted ninja wearing Suna and Konoha headbands."

He ground his teeth for a moment, then swallowed his anger just as easily as he hid his pain. The other villages continued to insist that _he _was responsible for the destruction of that two-bit, backwater village, when in reality Taki was beneath his notice. Their only real asset was their jinchuuriki – their vaunted defenses and Hero's Water had never truly been tested, and rumors had greatly exaggerated their efficacy over the years. Most ninja had grown up "knowing" that Taki was impenetrable, but he had been around long enough to remember when Taki was scrambling left and right practically begging for missions.

The other villages didn't care about that, though. No, they probably knew just as well as he did that Iwa was not responsible; they were just taking advantage of the situation to try to finish him off once and for all. He had closed his borders to show them that he wasn't going to give in to their plans, but they kept pushing anyway.

And now his village was dying by inches. Every day his borders were raided, and every day more of his ninja died. Suna and Konoha were biting at his heels, and Kumo and Kiri were just waiting in the wings, watching them fight amongst themselves and waiting to swoop in for the kill.

He balled his hand into a fist and slammed it on his desk. "I won't have it!" he snarled.

The ninja in the room flinched and shifted uneasily. His eyes shifted as one of the kunoichi stepped forward. Kurotsuchi, his granddaughter. She was very skilled, much like her mother. She would make a fine successor one day, but she wasn't ready yet.

"Won't have what, Grandfather?" she asked.

"The other villages are trying to drag us down, waiting for us to show weakness. They want us to invite them inside our borders so that they can _investigate_. The moment we do that, they'll strike."

Kurotsuchi shrugged. "Tell me something I don't know," she muttered, running a hand through her short-cropped black hair.

"Impudent whelp," he snipped back, though inwardly he was pleased with her attitude. She wasn't afraid to state what she really thought to anyone, just as it should be. "We can't afford to let them whittle us down any longer. Konoha and Suna have made us out to be the villains this time around, and they'll take advantage of that any way they can. They've already caused us a lot of problems with the neutral nations by getting them to close their borders to us. It's time we did something about it."

Kurotsuchi's pupiless pink eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Hmph. What I'm talking about is striking when and where they least expect it. Suna has moved their jinchuuriki to the front lines, claiming that _we _have been raiding _them. _It's obvious they are positioning themselves for a full-scale invasion. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Konoha has moved their hidden jinchuuriki to the front lines as well."

"Well, yeah," Kurotsuchi replied, "but we don't have a jinchuuriki to match them. It's one of their biggest advantages right now."

Oonoki nodded, a dark smile on his face. "And that's why we're going to even the odds."

* * *

-March 20th, 348 NE-

-Konoha, Hokage's Office-

Shikaku motioned the ANBU to leave and seal the room, his eyes focused on Inoichi. His friend was sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk, a curious but relaxed expression on his face.

"What's up, Shika?" Inoichi asked.

Shikaku sighed, then stood and moved around the desk to take the seat next to Inoichi.

"As I'm sure you know," Shikaku began as he turned the chair to face Inoichi and dropped into it, "the Hokage is privy to many secrets that are kept from the general populace for one reason or another. Some are just for security, but others... others are kept because the village _can't _know about them."

Inoichi's expression grew solemn as he sensed the general direction this conversation was heading.

"I was informed of this particular secret," Shikaku continued, "soon after I was named Sarutobi's successor. He himself had only known for a short time after he put together various clues on his own. Aside from Sarutobi and myself, only the ANBU Commander knows."

Inoichi frowned. "Why am I being told, then? Is it something that you need a Yamanaka for? I know I'm good, but I know of at least two Yamanaka who are in ANBU at the moment."

"Three, actually," Shikaku corrected absently, "but that's not why. I'm telling you now because you are personally involved. I've delayed saying anything to you because I wasn't certain that- no," Shikaku interrupted himself, grimacing, "that's not why. I didn't tell you before now because it was the easy way out."

Inoichi swallowed thickly. It wasn't like Shikaku to beat around the bush like this. Inoichi also knew enough about his friend to know that even now he was conflicted about what he was about to do. The tells were all there; the tension in his frame, the way he was rubbing his scar, the tightness around his eyes.

"If it's that big a deal, Shika...," Inoichi said slowly.

Shikaku grimaced then shook his head again. "If it was anyone but you or Chouza, I might have kept my mouth shut. Sarutobi-sama certainly did, but that's proven to be a mistake. I don't know if this is the better path, but I swore to myself I would never lose sight of my friends, regardless of my title."

Shikaku took another deep breath, then stared grimly at Inoichi. "There's something you need to know about Naruto."

* * *

-March 21st, 348 NE-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"Mornin' Tou-chan," Ino yawned as she walked into the kitchen. She made her way to the refrigerator, idly noting that the coffee her father had made smelled particularly strong this morning.

"Another all-nighter?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," he replied dully, staring into his cup.

"That sucks," she offered as she began throwing together a quick and simple breakfast. She paused as she noticed that his right hand was heavily bandaged. "What'd you do to your hand?"

He didn't answer at first, his gaze shifting to stare at the gauze-wrapped appendage as if he'd never seen it before. After several seconds, his gaze flicked up to hers. "Training accident," he said shortly. "Was sparring with Shika and slipped up."

"Ouch," Ino winced. "Want Naruto to look at it? He could fix it up in no time."

There was an odd cracking sound, and coffee started dripping onto the table. Inoichi sighed and examined the cup, where a small crack ran along the side. He stood and moved to the sink, dumping the coffee out and setting the mug on the counter.

"That's alright," he replied to her earlier question. "It's nothing serious, and it'll be a good reminder for me."

"If you say so," Ino said slowly, eying her father with concern. "Is everything alright, Tou-chan?"

"Everything's fine, honey," he replied as he grabbed a new mug and poured himself another cup of coffee, "just a little wound up still. Speaking of Naruto," he added as he returned to the kitchen table, "how has your 'secret training' been going?"

Ino shrugged. "Pretty slowly, actually. We haven't had a lot of time what with all the patrols we've been doing. I mean, yeah, we're awesome, but you think they'd cut us a break every now and then," she complained.

"It could be a lot worse," Inoichi pointed out. "The casualties from the border raids have really dropped lately; Iwa could be finally backing down."

Ino hummed noncommittally.

"So, why don't you tell me what you're working on? Even if you don't have a lot of time to practice, maybe I could help out."

Ino grinned and shook her finger at him. "No way," she said, smirking. "We're keeping this under wraps until we've got it right. When we finally show everyone what we can do, it's gonna be _huge_."

Her dad laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. You can't blame me for trying, though; you keep hinting about this amazing new technique, of course I'm going to be curious. Still," he said, his expression softening, "I also want to make sure you're safe. The higher rank the technique the more dangerous it can be, especially if you don't have someone who already knows it helping you out. You guys are being careful, aren't you?"

"Of course we are," Ino retorted, annoyed. "And even if something does go wrong – which it _hasn't _and _won't_ – Naruto is right there to fix me up."

"What am I fixing?" Naruto asked as he walked into the kitchen, looking annoyingly fresh and alert as he always did in the morning. He could at least _pretend _to have trouble waking up every now and then.

"Nothing," Ino said firmly, "because nothing is going to go wrong."

"Ah," Naruto said as he settled down at the table. "Dad's asking about our training again?"

"Yep," Ino nodded, smirking. "He'll just have to keep guessing."

Naruto nodded, his eyes studying Inoichi's form. "Want me to fix up your hand?" he asked.

"That's alright," Inoichi replied, flexing it. "It's not that bad anyway."

Naruto studied him for a moment, then shrugged.

They continued to talk as Ino and Naruto ate breakfast and Inoichi drank several more cups of coffee. Ino dumped her plate in the sink and checked the time. "Hurry up, little brother," she teased, "Hinata wanted us to help her practice her new jutsu, and if we take too long we won't have any time for our own training."

Naruto nodded unhurriedly as he finished off the last of his meal and cleaned up his own mess. "Whatever you say, Nee-chan."

Ino frowned as she heard another cracking sound, then her dad bit off a curse as he dropped his mug and quickly wiped off his hand.

"Are you sure you're alright, Tou-chan?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Ino," he answered distractedly as he picked up a rag and began cleaning up the spilled coffee. "Just a little tired. Once I get some sleep I'll be good as new."

"If you say so," she replied.

* * *

-March 25th, 348 NE-

-Amegakure-

Fuu stared out over the city, the gloomy, overcast skies suiting her mood perfectly.

Several months had passed since she had accepted the "offer" from the leader of Akatsuki to join their organization. In that time, she had gotten to know Jun and Kyoko, the two jinchuuriki who had destroyed Taki.

Jun was, depending on who you asked, a cocky brat or a self-assured and assertive teenager – Fuu was firmly of the former opinion. He was absolutely devoted to Akatsuki and its goals, and never missed an opportunity to praise his beloved "Leader-sama" at every turn. He called himself a ninja, often bragging that he was one of the youngest ninja to ever achieve S-rank, but he rarely used anything other than the chakra of the tailed beast sealed within him. In fact, the only time she'd ever seen him actually use techniques was when he was training with Leader-sama.

Kyoko, in contrast, was a very sweet and cheerful little girl that Fuu couldn't help but like despite herself. She seemed to radiate happiness wherever she went, and even as she trained to become stronger she somehow managed to maintain a level of cuteness that Fuu could not explain. Where Jun was devoted to "Leader-sama," Kyoko absolutely _worshiped _"Angel-sama."

Fuu could understand that to an extent, as Akatsuki's second-in-command was vastly more approachable than the enigmatic "Leader-sama." A point in her favor was that she actually wanted people to use her name – Konan, as Fuu had found out when the woman introduced herself – where Fuu had yet to hear anyone refer to "Leader-sama" as anything else.

Konan was the only non-jinchuuriki member of Akatsuki that Fuu had regular contact with. It was never outright stated, but it seemed clear to her that Konan was the one responsible for keeping the jinchuuriki in line. Of course, that might also have been because of Yahiko, the blue-haired boy who rounded out the group of jinchuuriki. Fuu had to admit that seeing the son of the two leaders of Akatsuki as a jinchuuriki was a major point in their favor; if nothing else it helped prove that they were serious about treating the jinchuuriki properly.

And they were treating her well, she supposed; certainly better than Taki ever had.

She was less comfortable around the other members of Akatsuki, the ones who were sent out on missions to do... _something_, though she had no idea what it was. She'd been shocked to find that Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the most famous missing-nin in the Elemental Nations, had been a member of Akatsuki for years. She didn't talk to him much even on the rare occasions when he was in Amegakure, and he seemed perfectly content to ignore her in return.

She got along much better with Deidara, the blonde missing-nin from Iwa who was obsessed with explosions. The fact that he could fly using that weird clay bird of his helped that along considerably. She'd heard about the religious fanatic, Hidan, but Konan had warned her not to approach him if at all possible and she had kept her distance.

Fuu wished they had told her the same about the newest non-jinchuuriki member of Akatsuki. Orochimaru, the pale-skinned, golden-eyed missing-nin from Konoha, always looked at her like she was some sort of specimen to be dissected. His words sounded reasonable and charming, but just being around him made her skin crawl. She honestly couldn't fathom how anyone else could stand to be around him.

"Hiding up here again, are we?" a soft voice said from behind her.

Fuu turned to find Konan perched on the edge of the roof, her paper wings folded against her back. The blue-haired woman was wearing a dark blue cloak that shielded her from the perpetual rain.

"I like high places," Fuu replied, shrugging.

"Kyoko was looking for you earlier, you know."

"I'll find her later," Fuu said. "I just like to have some time to myself sometimes."

Konan nodded her understanding and then fell silent, both of them staring out over the village. "It's almost time for your next training session," she said eventually, "but we've got a few minutes to spare. Shall we?" she asked, flaring her wings slightly.

Fuu felt a grin stretching across her face as the ever-present prodding inside her skull doubled in intensity. Her own chakra wings flared out of her back, and she launched herself off the side of the building, her hand tapping Konan's arm as she passed.

"You're it!" she called out, laughing.

Konan's own wings flared outward, just in time to catch one of the rare sunbeams that broke through the clouds and bathing her form in light. Fuu's breath caught slightly as she took in the beautiful and majestic sight; moments like this made it very clear why Konan was referred to as "Angel-sama."

Then the blue-haired woman took flight, rapidly closing the distance between them with a smile on her face, and the chase was on.

* * *

-March 31st, 348 NE-

-Suna-Ishi Border-

"Another attack," Temari said quickly as her fan floated to the ground. "Roughly one kilometer to the northwest."

Gaara turned and immediately began moving in that direction, his relaxed manner at odds with the speed he was hurtling across the desert. Temari and Kankuro groaned in annoyance and took off after him, Temari eschewing her fan in order to not draw any further attention to her team.

They reached the location of the attack quickly to find that the Suna team was battered but otherwise intact and that the ambushers were already making a full retreat. Gaara didn't even spare the patrol a glance as he rushed past, a crazed smile growing on his face as he began the chase in earnest.

"We'll get them!" Temari called out encouragingly, trying to reassure the patrol that they cared about their fate and that their injuries would be avenged. Kankuro nodded his agreement as they rushed past. One of the injured ninja gave them a quick thumbs up as they ran past, startling Temari enough that she almost stumbled. _That _certainly hadn't happened before.

She didn't have time to ponder the oddly positive reaction though, as Gaara increased his speed and she had to focus on her own movements. They crossed over Suna's border with the Land of Stone almost immediately, but like with their other clashes with the raiders they didn't stop there.

This would make their... seventeenth, maybe eighteenth chase, she thought. It was getting hard to keep track by this point. They'd only manage to catch half of their prey and had yet to actually capture any of them alive – and it wasn't Gaara's fault on that front, either. The ninja they chased resisted ferociously when cornered and many ended up killing themselves with suicide techniques rather than surrender, while others were simply too difficult to subdue. If they had fought in the desert Gaara may have been able to do more, but his control over dirt and stone required a great deal more focus and he rarely had time to do so in the middle of a battle.

On the upside, the skills of her entire team were growing by leaps and bounds. Kankuro was refining both his poison selection and puppetry techniques, she had never felt more connected with and in control of the wind, and Gaara was actually starting to move about and engage foes physically since he could no longer solely rely on his sand. And of course, with all the running they had done, none of them had been in better shape in their entire lives.

She was _still _convinced Gaara was cheating somehow, though. He never seemed nearly as tired as she or Kankuro did, no matter how far they ran.

"Something's not right," Temari heard Kankuro mutter to himself.

"What?" she asked, moving closer to him.

"The raiders are barely trying to shake us at all, just running almost in a straight line. A straight line towards the Land of Earth, no less," he added.

Temari frowned, nodding. Kankuro did have a point, she noted. Usually their prey attempted to lose them by crossing over rivers, moving through thick forests or heavily populated villages, even creating clones to act as decoys. This group was focused purely on speed, and were managing to maintain their lead over Gaara despite the length of the chase.

"I'm going up," Temari said finally, slinging her fan from her back, opening it, and hopping onto it in one smooth, practiced motion. A burst of wind chakra had her soaring upwards.

From her new vantage point, she could make out the three ninja they were pursuing in the distance as they cut across an open field. They weren't even making a token attempt to hide their presence. Her eyes scanned the area in front of them, trying to make out anything unusual that might explain why their prey was acting in such an unusual way.

She couldn't see anything, just thickets of trees and clusters of rocks, but then a flash of light caught her eye. One of the raiders they were chasing had pulled out something – a mirror, most likely – and was moving it back and forth. She was at just the right angle to catch the edge of the flash as it moved.

She had already started flaring her chakra in a warning pattern before she was consciously aware of what that could mean – ambush.

Neither Gaara nor Kankuro slowed their pace, and she cursed as she realized she was too far away. She immediately angled downward, gaining speed and moving almost faster than she could control as she strained to reach them in time. Kankuro stumbled and jerked his head upward as he finally caught the signal, his painted face registering surprise and concern.

Gaara, on the other hand, continued to move forward.

"What is it?" Kankuro snapped quickly as Temari came close enough to hear him.

"Ambush!" she shouted back, dismounting her fan and moving into a sprint. She'd be damned if she left Gaara alone to face a trap that was no doubt tailored for them.

They were almost a kilometer behind, now, and straining to catch up as Gaara's pace increased even further. Then Gaara entered a small, open depression surrounded on all sides by clumps of trees and boulders.

The massive surge of chakra almost bowled them over, even as far away as they were. In a single, coordinated strike, what must have been fifty ninja stepped from cover and began launching ninjutsu of every description even as exploding tags buried in the depression went off, flinging dirt and rocks in every direction. Tornadoes of fire vied with animals formed from dirt and stone while bolts of lightning and blades of wind sliced into the area, all of them focused in the center where Gaara was last seen.

To Temari's growing horror, the onslaught continued for nearly a minute, each and every ninja continuing to fling powerful jutsu into the depression without pause, before they all cut off at some prearranged signal. Three of them had actually been injured by debris from the conflagration, and several more dropped to their knees, panting at the massive chakra drain on their reserves. Still others were watching the depression warily, waiting on confirmation that their attack had succeeded before they let down their guard.

Someone had the presence of mind to use a wind jutsu to quickly clear out the dust, revealing a blasted, torn landscape. Temari felt her heart drop when she saw that there were no bubbles of stone or other structures that could have indicated that Gaara had managed to defend himself.

One of the ninja stepped forward, some sort of large animal at his side, and began carefully making his way to the center of the area.

Temari felt someone grab her arm and pull her backwards. She ripped her arm out of their grip and spun around, a snarl on her face, only to find Kankuro staring at her, a pained expression on his face.

"We need to get out of here," he said quietly. "Whether Gaara survived or not, there's nothing the two of us can do against that many. We'll have to trust that he can get away on his own."

"You aren't going anywhere," a voice said from behind them. They spun, ready to defend themselves, to find three more ninja, all wearing Iwa headbands and jounin flak vests, standing in front of them. "Orders didn't say anything about you two as long as we killed the little jinchuuriki shit, so you can surrender or we can kill you where you stand."

"Got it!" one of the ninja from the ambush yelled. "Sealing team, standby! The tailed beast is starting to reform!"

Temari felt like someone had just ripped her heart out through her stomach. Her eyes widened and tears spilled from her eyes unbidden. "No," she whispered.

She could feel Kankuro trembling beside her, his killing intent spiking as his jaw clenched and he stared hatefully at the three jounin standing before them.

Then her eyes widened even further as Gaara emerged seamlessly and silently from the ground behind the jounin, a sadistic, delighted grin on his face. He spread his arms, the limbs stretching and growing until they formed large, clawed appendages that belonged to an animal rather than any sort of human being, then slammed them together. Temari barely managed to turn away to avoid the splash of blood and gore that erupted.

"Gaara!" Kankuro exclaimed, relief clear in his voice. "Thank Kami, I thought they had gotten you."

Gaara brought his finger to his lips. "**Shh...,**" he stage whispered, "**let's not spoil the surprise!**"

"W-what?" Kankuro stuttered, shocked at the strange actions and tone from Gaara. That sound tugged at a distant memory in Temari's mind; she would swear she had heard a voice like that before, but she couldn't place it at that moment.

Then Gaara collapsed into dirt.

* * *

**A/N: I was getting a little bogged down in the details for this arc, and it was really slowing me down. Eventually I ended up cutting a couple of scenes out entirely and forging ahead. One of the... perils to using so many perspectives is the temptation to explain what _everyone_ is doing and planning before some major event. I think it slowed me down and killed some of the tension for the climax of the Chuunin Exams arc and so I'm making a conscious effort to avoid that here. ****  
**

**The other is that I find that I actually quite like the more limited perspectives I'm using for my other stories. It makes it a little easier on me wordcount-wise and I think it also makes for a more interesting story for the reader. Obviously I'm still trying to find the right balance so that I'm not laying everything out beforehand but still leaving enough hints that it doesn't feel like later twists or revelations just come out of nowhere here, but I will be limiting the introduction of new perspectives moving forward.  
**

**I'm also due for another Ramen Days update, so I'll be trying to get that out in the next few days.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	47. The Tumbling Die

-March 31st, 348 NE-

-Land of Stone, Ambush Site-

"Get the fucking cube over here, you idiots!" the jounin snarled as he continued to draw the outline of the sealing array. The two ninja carrying the cube just grunted, moving as quickly as they could while managing the weight of the object.

Chakra metal was expensive. The process required that the initial material be almost entirely pure and the work – both seal and manual – was long and arduous. The secrets behind its creation were guarded jealously and the number of weapons and tools forged from it across the entire Elemental Nations was less than a hundred per year. It was the mark of an extremely skilled, confident, and wealthy ninja if they possessed personal weapons forged from the material. The blades of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were rumored to be entirely or mostly forged of the metal, yet one more reason they were so highly sought after.

The cube the two jounin were carrying was solid chakra metal and thus cost more than all of the ninja present could hope to make in a year, combined. It had been used by Iwa for decades to safely contain and transfer its tailed beasts whenever a jinchuuriki became unable to continue carrying their burden.

They placed the metal cube in the middle of the circle and stepped back. The seal master immediately began slapping prepared seals all over its surface. He also sliced his thumb and began spreading his blood directly on the metal, connecting the seals in complex patterns. The other ninja, their job mostly done, watched him work warily as they kept their eyes open for any sign of the beast that would shortly be unleashed.

It was well known that the tailed beasts were immortal and that killing a jinchuuriki would release the one sealed within them. That fact served to make the containers, already an incredibly dangerous foe, even more so; even if you managed to kill one you then had to contend with the beast sealed within them.

Iwa had not set upon this course lightly, however, and they were prepared. Not only would they deprive Suna of their jinchuuriki, but they would also gain one to replace the two they had lost. In time, they would even be able to turn their newest jinchuuriki against Suna, the One-Tailed Beast's control over sand serving to doom the village rather than defend it.

"Hurry it up!" another jounin snarled worriedly. "The concentration is growing rapidly!"

"I'm almost done!" the seal master snapped. His hands began moving even faster as he shuffled around the cube. After placing the last few seals and wiping blood across the metal, he leapt back and settled onto the ground, sitting cross-legged at the outer edge of the circle. His hands were blurring through signs, small droplets of blood flinging off of them as they rapidly shifted. Drawing in one last deep breath, he clapped his hands together and then slammed then onto the circle, calling out, "Sealing Art: Earth's Eternal Prison!"

The other ninja began to relax as the seal master finished his work. Once the beast was completely contained, they would hurry back to Iwa where it would be transferred into a suitable living host.

"Hey," one of the ninja called out quietly, "nothing's happening."

The dissipating tension flooded back into the scorched and broken crater.

"What's wrong? Did the seal not work?"

The seal master didn't answer, remaining motionless with his hands firmly planted on the ground.

"Fucking answer me, dammit! Is the thing sealed or not?"

The seal master didn't move, his gaze remaining focused on his hands.

The ninja began shifting warily, the sense that something wasn't right pressing down on them.

The closest jounin walked over to the seal master, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him roughly. The seal master's head lolled back and forth loosely before his body seemed to explode, spikes of earth lancing out and impaling the jounin who had shaken him.

Then the earth started trembling.

* * *

"What was that?" Kankuro asked, stepping backwards in surprise. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Temari said quietly, "but I don't think that was Gaara."

Kankuro turned to her in confusion, but they stopped talking when the earth under their feet began shaking. It started softly but rapidly grew in strength until, with a tremendous heave, it felt like the very ground beneath them dropped away. They fell to their hands and knees, landing harshly against the bucking earth as it seemingly rose to meet them.

The tremors subsided after that, and Temari looked over to Kankuro. "You ok?" she asked, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring towards the ambush site, his mouth gaping open and his skin visibly paling, even hidden as it was by his face paint. She turned to look, and her own mouth dropped open even as she felt the ground shaking under the force of an enormous impact and a loud booming sound washed over them.

She watched in awe as an enormous _thing _rose out of the earth, the shifting dirt and stone giving the impression of rippling muscles as it seemed to pull itself upwards using two pillars of twisted stone that served as its legs. As she looked on, more pieces of the thing fell away to reveal two hind legs, the appendages bending backwards at the knee and ending in clawed feet like an animal's. Another appendage emerged, lashing out behind the thing horizontally, revealing itself to be a long tail.

The thing must have been at least thirty feet tall and easily twice as long, even without counting the tail. Then it turned its head, revealing its canine-like muzzle and its dark yellow, almost golden eyes which had black, diamond-shaped pupils.

The thing raised its right foreleg and slammed it back into the ground, causing the earth to buck beneath them once again. Temari managed to tear her eyes away from the tailed beast – it had to be, though she felt her gut clenching as she thought about what that meant for Gaara – long enough to see the gouts of flame and sparks of lightning that were assailing its form. From this distance and compared to its size, it was almost like watching fireflies dance around it.

Its tail whipped around, creating a long, rolling boom as it moved through the air then a bone-rattling crash as it impacted against the earth. The ground seemed to roil for a moment before a large wall sprang up, running for hundreds of feet to the north then curving around. The thing repeated the motion in the other direction, creating a large half-bowl with tall walls of dirt and stone on one end and itself on the other. Its face shifted, and Temari would swear that the beast was _grinning_.

"It's playing with them," Kankuro suddenly gasped. "Kami, it's... how can it..."

Temari swallowed nervously as she realized what Kankuro was talking about. She could just make out the ninja scrambling desperately to escape the beast, but they slipped and fell as they tried to use their chakra to climb the walls the beast had created, and she could see a few slamming their hands into the ground only for nothing to happen.

A bright flash of light suddenly appeared, and Temari rapidly blinked her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. Through the spots in her eyes she could see a large chunk of one of the beast's legs was missing, but even as she watched it began to reform. She couldn't tell that the beast even felt the attack, and despite the visible damage caused it didn't seem to actually hinder it in any way.

The beast suddenly lunged forward, its towering form moving shockingly fast as its claws pierced through several ninja. That seemed to break the last of the resistance among the Iwa-nin, as the attempts to attack the beast ceased and all of them simply began running in any direction they could. This seemed to delight the beast even more, as its grin grew even wider as it swatted its claws back and forth, each movement ending the life of another ninja.

Temari thought some of the Iwa-nin might get away since they were fleeing in opposite directions, but the beast's tail suddenly lifted into the air before plunging into the earth. To her growing horror, a ring of spikes began blossoming out of the earth, spreading in every direction and impaling the ninja attempting to flee. Her horror was not due to the death of the Iwa-nin, though – they deserved all of that and more for what they had done to Gaara – but because the spikes _weren't stopping_.

She and Kankuro scrambled to their feet, pushing as hard as they could to gain distance even as she hefted her fan and prepared to take to the skies. She couldn't maintain flight with two people for very long, but if they didn't get off the ground now...

The grinding sound of the spikes rapidly grew closer and closer even as she channeled her chakra into her fan. Then, just before she would have leapt onto the fan, pulling Kankuro with her, the sound abruptly stopped.

Temari stumbled at the sudden change, almost falling to the ground. Her descent was prevented as Kankuro steadied her, his expression grim as he looked back towards the tailed beast.

The towering monstrosity was breaking apart, chunks of rock and dirt tumbling to the earth as it collapsed. Its yellow eyes appeared to be closed, and it almost looked like it was simply lying down for a nap as it settled to the ground.

"**Ah... I **_**needed **_**that,**" came a satisfied sigh from behind them. They spun around to find the Gaara look-alike standing there, rolling his shoulders as if stretching after some strenuous activity. He had a lazy smirk plastered on his face, but it was his golden, slitted eyes that Temari focused on; those were the same eyes the beast had.

"What are you? What happened to Gaara?" she snarled, raising her fan threateningly. Some part of her questioned the wisdom of threatening the thing that had just done _that _to fifty Iwa-nin, but she knew that if it wanted them dead they would already be dead.

"**Gaara is fine, though he might be a little sore... that was a lot more than he's ever handled before. As for me... well, I think you've figured **_**that **_**out by now, hmm?**" He raised one hand, cutting off their reply. "**I'm sure we'll meet again, but for now... good day,**" he finished, the smirk turning into a grin.

The yellow eyes closed, then his form suddenly turned brown before pitching forward. It landed on the ground with a soft thud, releasing a small cloud of dust. Temari and Kankuro looked at the mound of dirt then at each other, both wondering where Gaara was. Was he back at the center of the crater?

A low groan from the dirt caused them to jump in surprise, before they rushed forward and pulled their younger brother out of the pile, brushing the loose dirt off of his form. He looked up at them with his green eyes, causing both of them to sigh in relief.

Temari engulfed her brother in a hug and Kankuro clapped a hand on his shoulder a moment later. "I'm so glad you're ok," she said. "I thought..."

Gaara slowly returned the embrace, one hand patting her shoulder awkwardly. "I'm fine," he said.

"What _was _that?" Kankuro asked.

Gaara's expression grew distant for a moment, then he nodded slowly. "There's something you should know..."

* * *

-April 4th, 348 NE-

-Konoha, Council Chambers-

"It is the unanimous decision of this Council that Konoha is henceforth in a state of war with Iwagakure no Sato. All non-essential operations are hereby suspended, all field agents are to be recalled, and all of our allies are to be notified. The Hokage shall assume his full wartime authority until such time that the conflict has been resolved," Shibi Aburame concluded, fulfilling his traditional duty as the Jounin Commander to function as the arbiter for any Council meetings.

Shikaku rose, his expression tired but firm. "Suna has already begun mobilizing, and the Daimyo has agreed to temporarily suspend our internal security duties within the Land of Fire. With the exception of the Twelve Ninja Guardians, he has returned all of the ninja under his command to us. Kiri and Kumo have both agreed to provide four squads, and Kiri has gone one step further and is sending Zabuza Momochi as their commander."

"Your pardon, Hokage-sama, but even with the addition of Momochi-san such small numbers are hardly going to make a significant difference," one of the councilors pointed out.

"In terms of our overall strength, Matsuno-san, you are correct," Shikaku replied, nodding. "However, those squads are ninjutsu specialists that will give us some additional tactical options if used properly. Aside from that, the gesture is largely political, meant as a show of solidarity. They are making their position in this conflict clear both to ourselves and to any observers. They are also providing limited logistical support in the form of weapons and other supplies."

The councilor nodded, accepting the explanation.

"The squads from Kiri and Kumo should be arriving within the week, and Suna will begin moving a few days after that. We will cross into Iwa territory in two weeks. Our battle plan calls for a series of coordinated strikes as we occupy or destroy key strategic positions within Iwa. Our expectation is that Iwa will employ hit and run tactics to combat our approach, attempting to weaken us and offering only token resistance until we reach Iwagakure itself." Shikaku glanced to the side for a moment, then nodded. "I will now defer to the field commander."

The attention in the room shifted to the man sitting to the Hokage's right.

"Iwa enjoys three significant defensive advantages: first, the barren and flat landscape provides little cover for any approaching hostiles; second, their mastery over earth jutsu is well-suited to the terrain; and third, the village itself is protected by one of the most advanced barrier jutsu ever developed, powered in part by the Tsuchikage's Dust Release.

"To counter the first, the Kiri and Kumo squads will be using their village's techniques to provide wide-scale mist- and storm-cover. Any ninja deployed to the front lines will be required to demonstrate adequate skill in operating under these conditions.

"To counter the second, each squad deployed in the field will have at least one ninja capable of employing lightning techniques, and all ninja will receive briefings on common earth techniques and their counters, in particular the Rock Crusher jutsu.

"To counter the third, we have three independent strategies. The first is for Jiraiya to create a sealing array capable of neutralizing the barrier, or at least reducing its effectiveness – I will be lending my own knowledge and expertise to his efforts. The second is to overwhelm the barrier by having large numbers of techniques focused onto specific areas."

The room shifted uncomfortably. While that approach was likely to be effective, it could also easily backfire if Iwa was prepared to counterattack the weakened ninja.

"The third option is for Suna and Konoha to deploy our jinchuuriki."

There was a hiss as several ninja sucked in their breath, and no one spoke for several seconds. Tsume was the one who finally broke the silence.

"Sandaime-sama, after the recent assassination attempt we know Gaara is capable of manifesting his beast form to great effect, but surely our jinchuuriki's particular issues...," she trailed off, glancing sideways at Inoichi and wondering why he wasn't reacting more to the former Hokage's declaration; perhaps he already knew?

Sarutobi's face could have been carved from stone as he replied. "Despite our jinchuuriki's unique situation, we have every reason to believe he will be just as effective as Gaara in this endeavor, if not more so."

Tsume nodded uncertainly, not willing to push the matter any further.

* * *

-April 7th, 348 NE-

-Hokage's Office-

Shikaku didn't react as the door to his office slammed open; he was confident that his ANBU would have prevented all but a select few from taking even that much liberty with their Hokage and his privacy. His eyes did narrow in worry as Inoichi barged in, a sheaf of papers clutched in one hand.

"'Ichi, what's-"

"Seal up the room, then read it," Inoichi interrupted, slapping some of the papers on the desk and collapsing into a chair.

Shikaku eyed his friend for a moment before signaling his ANBU to leave the room. Once they had left, he turned his attention to the documents.

_Session 1078-999-21, January 17th, 339 NE_

_Counselor: [Redacted]_

_Patient: [Redacted]_

_Begin Transcript_

"'Ichi, what is this?" Shikaku asked, flipping through the papers. There were five in all, starting with the twenty-first session and ending with one dated November of 346.

Inoichi just shook his head. "I've highlighted the relevant sections. Just... just read it."

Shikaku nodded slowly, his eyes scanning until he found what Inoichi wanted him to read.

_Counselor: What do you think his punishment should have been?_

_Patient: Execution._

_Counselor: That is an unusually strong punishment. Normally such crimes are resolved with fines and possibly jail time for the guilty and restitution for the victims._

_Patient: He abandoned his family, stole everything from them. If he is willing to do that, then is there anyone he would not betray, anything he would not take? Such a man is a danger to everyone around him, and should be dealt with accordingly._

He moved to the next document, dated May of that year.

_Counselor: So you feel that, in principle, duty to the village supersedes all other obligations for a ninja, but make exceptions for family?_

_Patient: In essence, yes._

_Counselor: Could you explain your reasoning?_

_Patient: The village is ideally a sort of extended family, but such a broad definition would require you to care for and defend a perfect stranger as if they were your family. Pretty words, but impossible and undesirable in practice. Instead there are levels of commitment, ranging all the way from family to perfect strangers and even to enemies, and the sum of those groups is the village._

_Counselor: Do you feel that you have enemies within the village?_

_Patient: Not me specifically, no. My meaning is that in fulfilling their duty to the village, the ninja is protecting all of those groups equally. Anyone would be willing to protect their enemies if it also meant protecting their family. The inverse, however – to destroy your family if it meant destroying your enemies – will almost never hold true. In that case, I believe that any ninja would prioritize their family over the village as a whole. I would not trust anyone who would answer otherwise._

The next was dated two weeks later.

_Patient: … thinks I'll have mastered the technique soon. [Redacted] also mentioned that you had gone to see her about [redacted] training. _

_Counselor: I did, yes. I'm a little concerned about how hard she had been pushing herself._

_Patient: She is merely trying to become as strong as she can. Is that not a good thing?_

_Counselor: It is, but only if she isn't hurting herself in doing so._

_Patient: But pain is an unavoidable-_

_Counselor: I didn't mean in the temporary discomfort sense. I meant in terms of damaging her long-term potential by pushing too hard too early._

_Patient: That is possible?_

_Counselor: For most people, yes. In [… redacted … ] not recover from such injuries._

_Patient: I see._

The next was dated October, 342 NE. Shikaku noted that Inoichi had scrawled the word "bloodlines" in the margin.

_Counselor: … have made surprisingly fast progress. I don't think [redacted] expected them to pick the [redacted] up so quickly, and [redacted] has been doing well too._

_Patient: Is that not how [redacted] work?_

_Counselor: Well, in the case of the [redacted] and [redacted], perhaps. Others have to work long and hard in order to acquire those kinds of techniques. And I don't think they have [redacted] anyway, just [redacted]. … You seem confused._

_Patient: I suppose I don't understand the distinction between an affinity for [redacted] and a full-blown [redacted]. Is [redacted] not picking up the [redacted] faster than you had thought possible?_

_Counselor: She is doing very well, yes, but that doesn't mean that [redacted]._

_Patient: If you say so, but I think she will surprise you._

The last was fairly short.

_Counselor: So how does it feel to have [redacted] on your team?_

_Patient: Good, of course, but I knew they wouldn't separate us. [Redacted] wouldn't do that._

_Counselor: There could have been compelling reasons to do so. Not everyone is placed with the team they want._

_Patient: Perhaps not, but there was no way [redacted] would be placed on another team. Neither of us would accept that._

"There are others, of course, but those are the ones where it's the most obvious," Inoichi said when Shikaku looked up.

"I assume these are records of your sessions with Kuushou, but I'm not sure I understand what I'm supposed to get from this."

"I've had sessions with him for years, over three hundred and counting. Despite his success in hiding the fact that he was the tailed beast, he could not possibly have faked his entire personality without any flaws or contradictions for so long. Based on what you have told me, many core pieces of Naruto's personality are maintained even when he is acting as Kuushou. Some are emphasized, others minimized, but they are still there."

"And?"

"I went back over my notes and transcripts, looking for anything that could give us an advantage or some understanding of his motivations. Oddly enough, it wasn't until I read over the Sandaime's description of their first meeting that everything started falling into place."

Shikaku leaned forward.

"The Sandaime described how Kuushou seemed to enjoy turning his own words against him, even directly quoting him in his replies to further mock him. He also mentioned that, as much as he could determine, the descriptions Kuushou gave of his history with the Summons were factually accurate but also misleading as well. This matches with his behavior when joking with or pranking the Clan Kids, especially Kiba.

"Once I had realized that, I recalled something that Hiashi had mentioned. It was shortly after Kuushou lost his arm in the battle with the Yondaime, when he returned to the emergency shelter. He said, quote, '_Death _does not scare me. What _does_ scare me is a threat to my family'."

Shikaku leaned back, his eyes dropping to the documents in front of him again.

"We have every reason to believe that he is effectively immortal, so his comment about death is, again, factually accurate but misleading. Hiashi believed he was referring to my family with the rest of his statement."

"Whereas he actually meant the other Bijuu," Shikaku noted wryly. "Accurate, but misleading, and no doubt amusing for him."

Inoichi sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Yes... and no."

Shikaku's eyes snapped to his. "What do you mean?"

Inoichi's expression was pained as he continued. "Hiashi mentioned something else to me about that day. He told me that Ino didn't seem concerned about the loss of Naruto's arm, and that she felt that he was essentially invincible because of his advanced healing capabilities. He wanted to let me know so that I could convince her otherwise without requiring drastic measures, especially since he actually did manage to recover from the loss of his arm."

Shikaku felt a sick feeling settle into his stomach. It seemed that his worst case scenario was true after all; he had hoped Inoichi would manage to find a different explanation.

"'Ichi...," he said quietly.

"Ino used to worry about him, you know? Even after the incident with Miyazaki, she would overreact every time he got so much as a papercut. She almost broke down when Itachi tried to kill him and he was in the hospital for so long. Then, at some point, she just... stopped. At some point he changed from vulnerable to invincible, to the point that she had absolute confidence that losing his arm was nothing but an inconvenience."

Inoichi looked down at his hands. "My little girl knows, Shika. She's known for years because _he told her_. And, Kami help me, I think when he's talking about family he's also talking about her."

"I suspected some of that," Shikaku said at length, "but I had nothing in the way of definitive proof and certainly nothing to suggest that Ino knew everything." He sighed. This entire conversation was troublesome beyond all reason. "You know that secret training that they've been doing?"

Inoichi nodded.

"It's been happening in the Namikaze Compound."

Inoichi's eyes slowly widened. "You mean...?"

"It's quite possible that both of them have been learning to use the Hiraishin, not to mention the possible sealing knowledge that Kuushou now has at his disposal. He already knows the Rasengan, as Jiraiya taught him that before the Chuunin Exams."

Inoichi looked torn between concern and pride. The room lapsed into silence as both considered the knowledge they had gained. After a few minutes, Shikaku's eyes shifted to the other paper still clutched in Inoichi's hand.

"Was there something else you found?"

Inoichi looked confused for a moment before he glanced down at the document. "Oh. Yeah, there was something else. I think I've figured out why no one ever managed to catch him doing anything strange or unusual," he said, placing the record in front of Shikaku.

This one was dated shortly after the disastrous Chuunin Exams last year. Inoichi had circled four lines several times and underlined certain words for further emphasis. "Gaara" was written along the margin.

_Counselor: So you decided to investigate when you felt that odd sensation?_

_Patient: Yes. I'd never encountered anything like that before and wanted to know what it was._

_Counselor: And when found the source of that sensation?_

_Patient: It was [redacted]. I didn't know what he was at first, but I could tell there was something different about him._

Shikaku read it through three times as his mind recalled the details of that incident.

"He was eating lunch at Ichiraku's when he abruptly left the stand and ran towards the gate," Inoichi added, "where he met Team Baki. From the stand to the gate is at least four kilometers. Nobody paid much attention to that with everything else that was going on at the time."

"... troublesome...," Shikaku muttered, looking up at his friend. A lot of the oddities and unusual patterns in his movements suddenly made a lot more sense. "He's a sensor."

"I think all of the Bijuu are. It should have been obvious, really – they are just chakra. I don't think anyone has really thought through the implications of that until now, especially since they assume forms that have normal sensory organs."

Shikaku just nodded even as his mind began sorting through their plans on dealing with Kuushou and the other Bijuu and jinchuuriki. Some of them would be completely worthless now, but others were salvageable. They would have to assume they could never take any of them completely by surprise, however. At best they could lure them into an area where they thought they were around friendly ninja.

"What... what are you going to do about Ino?" Inoichi asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Shikaku sighed and leaned back in his chair. "We must assume that her loyalty to the village is compromised," he said, causing Inoichi to flinch. "However, given Kuushou's emphasis on family and her own personality, I do not believe that she would consciously work to harm you or other people she cares for, even if she is willing to keep his secrets."

Inoichi relaxed marginally, relief showing through.

"And, ultimately, she is not in possession of any knowledge or authority beyond that of Kuushou himself and so does not present a security risk in that regard. She _is _skilled in your clan's techniques, but our routine checks for tampering have not shown that she has actually used them against anyone within Konoha. As long as we assume that anything Ino knows she will tell Kuushou, I do not think any overt action is required. We will have to maintain a watch on her to track her movements, however."

Inoichi frowned but nodded. "I understand," he said. "Thank you."

"Are you planning to confront either of them?" Shikaku asked quietly.

Inoichi hesitated, but eventually shook his head. "Not immediately," he said. "This whole situation is too... raw right now. I'm barely managing to keep it together when they're inside the house. I think with time and a better understanding of Kuushou's goals, I should be able to approach this situation constructively. I... part of me hates him, you know?" he confessed. "Like a lot of other people, I've hated the Nine-Tailed Beast ever since it attacked. Self-defense or not, he killed so many ninja that day and he doesn't even care – it's just not relevant to him. He deceived us for so long, pretending to be Naruto, and knowing that he was just sitting there, watching and laughing as I tried to _help_ him during our therapy sessions...," his hands clenched into fists, then relaxed.

"But part of me also remembers that he's saved Ino's life, kept her from pushing herself too hard when she was training, became her best friend and has always stood by her and supported her. I've thought of him as my own _son_, and was every bit as proud of his accomplishments as I was of Ino's...," he looked back at Shikaku, an utterly lost expression on his face that made the Hokage's heart clench in sympathy.

"How am I supposed to reconcile that?"

* * *

-April 10th, 348 NE-

-Namikaze Estate-

"Everything's happening so fast now," Kuushou heard Ino murmur lowly as she leaned against him. They had finally found a chance to make it back to the Namikaze estate for more practice, but Ino found that she couldn't concentrate on her training. They had ended up just sitting against the wall, Ino staring blankly across the room as she drew comfort from his presence.

"It is," Kuushou agreed.

He had wondered when this moment would come. Ino had needed little convincing to follow Kounori's plan, but there had been moments where he could see her doubts and fears. In some ways he wished she had reached this point earlier, and in others he was impressed that she had lasted this long.

"It's just... so many people are going to be fighting soon... fighting and _dying_. And they don't even know what they're fighting for."

"They're fighting for their friends and family, just like we are," Kuushou replied.

"But... they're going to be attacking Iwa, and they didn't really do anything! It would be so much better if they all just focused on Akatsuki!"

"It would be, but the circumstances were all wrong. There was so little evidence to point to Akatsuki, and more than enough to muddy the waters of any potential alliance. Iwa and Konoha would never work together, and might even support Akatsuki against the other if it came to that. Kumo and Kiri probably wouldn't have taken part at all, and Kumo certainly wouldn't field their jinchuuriki. Once this war has played out, Akatsuki will find themselves with nowhere to flee and no allies to protect them. All of the villages will be focused on them as the masterminds behind this war, ensuring that they receive no support from the surviving powers in the Elemental Nations.

"With all of the villages focused upon them as the enemy, they will be worn down, split apart, and broken. From there it will be a trivial matter for us to locate the rest of our brethren and free them."

"But!"

"Don't forget our ultimate goal, Nee-chan," Kuushou said chidingly. "_No one _will be allowed to keep us captive."

"I know," she replied, deflating slightly. "It's just... Dad's going to be out there, you know? And Shikaku-jiji, and Chouza-jiji too. Hinata's been assigned to one of the forward scouting teams, Team Mikoto is patrolling around the command center, and Team Kurenai is guarding the supply lines. They've put me on the short-range scouting squads, and you are going to end up on the front lines sooner or later." She shook her head. "Even if everything goes well, people are going to die. I'm worried it's going to be someone I know."

Kuushou tightened his arm around her, squeezing her shoulders lightly. He didn't like that they were being assigned to different areas of the battlefield, but he would be in the thick of the fighting and unable to respond quickly should Ino find herself in trouble. She wasn't completely out of danger, but she wouldn't be on the front lines and would likely only face limited fighting against weaker opponents. She was progressing well, but she wasn't quite ready yet.

"Even if that does happen," he said finally, responding to her concerns, "it would have been much worse otherwise. Just imagine what would have happened if they'd gone after Akatsuki directly only for Iwa to betray them and launch a surprise attack. Akatsuki doesn't have the resources to do the same, and they've been very, very careful about risking their members so far."

Ino blanched, then nodded slowly.

"I can't say nothing bad will happen, but Inoichi and the others are ninja; they've been preparing for this sort of thing all of their lives."

Ino sighed. "I just wish...,"

"I know. They've brought this upon themselves, however. All of them wanted our power, and now they are facing someone who has it and is actually willing to use it against them. Without our assistance, oblique though it is, they would be in a far worse position. Once Akatsuki has been completely destroyed, we will be more than willing to just leave the villages alone if they'll do the same for us.

"But enough of that," he said abruptly, standing up and pulling Ino with him. "It's time to resume your training." He maneuvered her to the center of the room and then dropped to a seated position. Ino looked down at him and then nodded, taking a seat across from him and settling into a meditative pose.

"You've been doing fairly well so far, but you've still got a long way to go. I want you to be able to handle twice what you can now by the time we leave for Iwa."

Ino grimaced. "Easy for you to say," she muttered. "You've been dealing with youki all of your life."

"Less bitching, more training," he replied, smirking.

She grumbled but closed her eyes, her face slowly losing all emotion as she focused.

Kuushou watched her for a moment as youki filtered out of his body to form tails that hovered around them both. Once he felt she was ready, the tails moved around Ino, surrounding her and beginning to permeate her body. He continued adding more and more energy until the air around her was completely saturated, then sat back and watched. Nothing seemed to happen at first, other than the occasional twitch or grimace from Ino. Slowly though, the youki began to move back and forth, shifting around her in simple patterns.

Though she was getting better and faster at this exercise, he was far more interested in what was happening deep within her chakra coils. Even as he watched the energy her body produced began to darken, shifting from sky blue to a deep navy. He slowly began withdrawing his youki, eventually leaving all of it in the shell around her body.

Her chakra didn't lighten, though. Instead it rapidly darkened until it was a vibrant purple hue. Her chakra coils – although they hadn't truly been that since he had made his changes – stretched and hummed as the denser energy flowed through them and absorbed the human chakra that remained, replacing it with the youki her body was now producing.

He also paid attention to the physical changes. Her entire body began to hum with energy, her blood pumping faster and her nerves firing more quickly. Her muscles contracted swiftly and easily, the energy coiling within just waiting to be released in an explosive burst. Her skin, rather than growing fur, instead seemed to gain a slightly leathery quality.

Finally, he withdrew his youki back into his own body, leaving Ino surrounded by a purple aura that clung to her skin and blended almost seamlessly into her clothing. He'd often wondered at that, actually; Ino's situation was literally unique, but he had half-expected her youki to be red like his own, as he had provided the changes that made this possible and she had spent so much time around him. Instead, her youki was a hue that perfectly matched her favorite color. He wasn't sure if that was coincidence or not.

With a deep breath, Ino opened her eyes, revealing shimmering purple orbs that were completely pupiless.

"**Ready?**" Kuushou asked, grinning in anticipation as he reinforced his body with youki.

Rather than replying verbally, Ino launched herself forward, her form blurring as she attacked. A sharp crack echoed throughout the room as they met. One of Kuushou's hands had caught Ino's as she tried to punch him in the stomach, and their forearms were currently pushing against one another as he intercepted the chop aimed at his throat. Much like their physical positions, Ino's purple aura was pushing against Kuushou's red one, the energy swirling in a chaotic dance as they vied for an advantage.

They held their position for a moment before Kuushou's aura flared and threw Ino backwards.

Ino landed easily, flexing her hands and flaring her own aura as she called forth more youki. "Always," Ino replied, her eyes dancing with delight and laughter.

* * *

-April 11th, 348 NE-

-Amegakure-

"Don't you fucking insult Jashin-sama, you asshole!" someone yelled up ahead.

Fuu couldn't hear the reply, but she did hear the inarticulate scream of rage and the clang of metal on metal. She hesitated to continue, but she had been informed that Leader-sama was calling a meeting and that she was _required_ to attend.

She hesitantly pushed open the door, immediately spotting the source of the disturbance. The gray-haired man known as Hidan was flailing his scythe around, trying to murder a large man with blue skin that she recognized as Kisame Hoshigaki. The Kiri missing-nin was using a large, cloth-wrapped object to effortlessly block of deflect the fanatic's uncoordinated strikes, a mocking smirk on his face.

On the far side of the room she saw Jun and Kyoko sitting next to Konan. Jun was watching the fight with excitement shining on his face while Kyoko was doing her absolute best to mimic Konan's expression and posture. The effect was somewhat ruined as she kept shooting glances towards her idol. Konan herself had her head propped against her arm which was resting against the table, a bored and annoyed expression on her face. She wasn't doing anything to stop the fighting, though.

"I wish they'd stop doing this every time, un," a voice said from beside the door, startling Fuu. She turned to find Deidara, the one member of Akatsuki she would feel confident calling a friend, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was looking at her, though his eyes would flicker to the battle every now and then as he watched its progress.

"This happens a lot?" she asked as she settled onto the wall beside him, tucking her arms behind her head.

"Yeah, un. Kisame-danna doesn't like Hidan, and Hidan is very easy to get riled up, un."

She nodded, watching Hidan continue to flail at Kisame without even coming close to hitting him. Her eyes snapped to the other side of the room as Orochimaru entered, his arrogant smirk firmly set on his face. His eyes seemed to gleam as he saw the battle occurring, but he just settled into a chair away from everyone else without saying anything.

"So how have you been, un?" Deidara asked quietly, drawing Fuu into a conversation. She actually enjoyed talking to him, most of the time, and he managed to avoid ranting about his art... most of the time. They were discussing the best aerial views in the area when Leader-sama entered the room, his cloak swirling about him and his red hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Hidan, Kisame," he said, his voice calm and even.

Hidan froze, then slowly backed away from Kisame and put away his scythe. "Sorry, Leader-sama," he said, ducking his head slightly. "But fish-face insulted Jashin-sama again and I had to punish his heathen ways."

Kisame's secured the bundle on his back again and shrugged. "It passed the time," he replied.

Leader-sama eyed them for a moment, then shook his head.

"Konoha and Suna have finally declared war against Iwa," he began, "and are deploying their jinchuuriki to the front lines. Thanks to our newest member," he said, nodding his head slightly in Orochimaru's direction, "we have confirmed that Naruto Yamanaka is the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast."

Fuu gasped.

"Is there something you wish to add?" Leader-sama asked, turning to look at her.

She shook her head rapidly. "My apologies, Leader-sama, it's just... that's the boy from Konoha who kept pestering me while I was still in Taki. He never said he was a jinchuuriki, though."

Leader-sama nodded after a moment and then turned his attention back to the rest of the room. "Both he and Gaara will be taking part in the attack on Iwagakure. I believe that we will find an opportunity to capture or kill them in the confusion and chaos of the battle."

"Kisame, you and Deidara are assigned to take out Gaara. He has shown the capacity to assume a beast form fashioned of dirt and stone, so Deidara's explosions may be key to defeating him and I suspect your water jutsu will slow him down. You will have full authority to call off the attempt if you do not believe you can take him out and escape afterwards. Fuu will be providing you with aerial support and your primary method of retreat.

"Hidan, you will be working with Orochimaru to take out Naruto. Orochimaru has fought him before and is the most familiar with his unusual capabilities, and your... worship of Jashin should allow you to keep him incapacitated or outright kill him despite his advanced healing. Orochimaru will simply need to retrieve a small amount of blood, a task that should be well within his considerable capabilities. His puppetry techniques will allow him to make the attempt without any risk to himself. Konan will be providing you with aerial support, but you will need to retreat on your own.

"Your groups will also have some intermediate objectives to help maximize the chaos of the battlefield. Jun and Kyoko will be providing distractions for your assault and cover for your retreat as well as generally damaging anyone they can. None of the villages involved are allied with us, and any damage they sustain serves to strengthen our own position later."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"Where will you be during all of this?" Orochimaru hissed, eying the red-haired man in the center of the room.

"I will be acting as reinforcements should the situation turn against us. I should not need to step in personally, as I expect everyone to be capable of performing the tasks I have assigned them."

Orochimaru chuckled to himself but didn't ask anything further. Seeing that no one else was going to voice any objections, Leader-sama nodded again.

"I suggest you start spending some time with your partners to become familiar with their skills and habits as well as review the information we have on your targets. Konoha and Suna are going to move out soon, and you will need to move out quickly when they do. We will discuss the specifics of timing and positioning once our source provides us with the information."

His eyes swept the room again.

"Dismissed."

* * *

**A/N: This one fought me a little, although I also blame Diablo III for distracting me. **

**For the Ryuudo scene, I found myself thinking that maybe I was making him a little too overpowered... then I realized that what he's doing here, with the possible exception of preventing earth jutsu from taking effect, is actually an order of magnitude or two lower than what human ninja have been shown to be capable of in canon. The form he manifests is much smaller than the sand form Shukaku uses in the canon Chuunin Exams, but it's also much denser and faster. Coupled with the speed and precision he uses to reshape the landscape, I think his threat level is precisely where I want it.**

**I tried to make it clear in the scene, but Akatsuki is well aware that they are stepping into the middle of a warzone and that it could backfire on them. They aren't fully committing to anything yet, but the fact that they have unrivaled mobility thanks to Deidara, Konan, Nagato, and Fuu provides them with a serious advantage that they are prepared to exploit.  
**

**My update speed is probably going to slow a little, as I'm finding that tying off plot threads is proving to take a lot more time than creating them in the first place. The more I write, the more I have to refer to previous events to make sure I've got all the little details exactly right. As with the last chapter, I'm also working to make sure I'm showing enough that certain things don't come out of nowhere while not showing _everything_. **

**I'm also having to force myself not to hint at things in these notes. Argh.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	48. Snake Eyes

-April 15th, 348 NE-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"You wanted to talk to me, Tou-san?" Kuushou asked curiously as he entered Inoichi's office. It had been quite a while since he had been in this particular room, he noted idly. It had been several months since they had any sort of counseling session and Inoichi preferred to use the common areas of the house when he wasn't actively working.

"I did," Inoichi acknowledged from behind his desk. That was also unusual; Inoichi only used the desk when he was working, never during counseling sessions. He hadn't explicitly said this was a counseling session, of course, but there was no other reason to talk in his office if that was the case. "If you'll close the door and have a seat?"

Kuushou did so, studying the man who had adopted him curiously. He looked worn out, but then all of the senior ninja in Konoha did; they were gearing up for war and would be setting out in a matter of days. There were hundreds of things that needed to be done, and they all needed to be done immediately.

Inoichi activated the privacy seals then leaned back, rubbing his hands over his eyes tiredly. "I know I've been really busy lately and haven't been around much," he began apologetically, "so I wanted to spend a little time with you before Konoha officially marches on Iwa."

"I know you've been busy, Tou-san," Kuushou replied, "I understand."

Inoichi grimaced. "I appreciate that, but I still wanted to do this. We are going to war, and I think we both know that there are no guarantees."

Kuushou shrugged and settled into his chair. "OK."

"So Ino tells me that your 'awesome secret training' is going well, but I haven't gotten your perspective on it. How do you think things are going?" He held up his hand, a knowing grin on his face. "I'm not going to ask what it is – even if you did want to tell me, I think Ino would kill us both for spoiling the surprise."

Kuushou chuckled in agreement. "She would. As for how it's going... it's going very well. We've been making rapid progress in the time we have before we head out, though of course it's still not as fast as Ino would like. Patience still eludes her, it seems."

"Her grandmother was the same way – both of them, actually. My mom used to say that she didn't have the time to waste on being patient. I'm sure she'll settle down eventually... I hope," Inoichi trailed off, laughing nervously.

Kuushou lips twisted into a dutiful smile; he'd heard this a number of times before, though Inoichi still seemed to find it amusing.

"What about your assignment? I got an earful from Ino about Team Kakashi getting split up, but you haven't said anything about it."

"It's not like it's permanent," Kuushou said, shrugging. "I assume Shikaku-ojisan talked to you about what I may end up doing."

"Yes...," Inoichi muttered, frowning. "I'm not happy about that, but he has his reasons."

"If I can help end everything faster, then I will," Kuushou said, managing to keep a straight face as he did so. "I'd like to think that having this thing stuck in my gut is actually useful for more than just pissing off Sasuke."

Inoichi nodded, smirking slightly. "Chouza _still _claims that was the funniest thing he's ever seen, you know."

Kuushou laughed out loud; it was one of the funniest things he'd ever seen too.

One day several years ago, Sasuke had come charging through the house and straight into their backyard, honing in on him like an attack dog. He'd loudly proclaimed that he was _finally _going to best him in a spar, then activated his newly acquired sharingan. The look of complete shock on his face when he saw the youki aura that surrounded him and realized that he couldn't read his movements after all had been _priceless_. It certainly hadn't helped that the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi families were in the middle of their weekly cookout at the time, or that the older ninja had immediately realized what had just happened and burst out laughing.

"Still," Inoichi said, his smile fading, "I don't like that we're putting you in that position. If something should happen..."

"I'll be fine. If would-be assassins and resurrected Hokages can't stop me, Iwa won't stand a chance. I may not end up having to do anything, either. Iwa could finally come to their senses and surrender."

"Orochimaru cut off your arm and Itachi nearly killed you," Inoichi pointed out.

Kuushou felt confused for a moment before he realized that Inoichi had taken his reference to the assassin who had tried to kill Gaara during the invasion to mean something else. Rather than correcting him, though, he just shrugged.

"And yet, here I am," he replied, motioning with his right arm for emphasis.

Inoichi sighed and nodded, though he seemed distracted by something. "I just... I worry, you know?" he admitted after a second. "Someday all of your training and all the advantages the tailed beast gives you aren't going to be enough."

Kuushou wanted to laugh at that thought, but he shoved the impulse aside. "Someday, perhaps," he said instead, "but I'll be fighting them tooth and nail every step of the way."

* * *

-April 16h, 348 NE-

-Hokage's Office-

Shikaku watched as Inoichi barged into his office once again, his hand already motioning for the ANBU to leave and seal the room. His blonde-haired friend began pacing back and forth in front of the desk, the folder still clutched in his hands.

"Remember how we could never figure out just what it was that sent Itachi over the edge? How we could never explain why he left Naruto alive? How Kuushou has mentioned a mysterious source but we have never once been able to explain how and where he gets his information? How we still don't know just what Itachi was doing before and during the Chuunin Exams?"

Shikaku leaned back, his mind whirling as he tried to follow the path Inoichi's questions were taking. "You found something else out, I take it?"

"I brought up Itachi to Kuushou yesterday when he mentioned 'would-be assassins'. When I did, he actually looked _confused _for a moment. And that got me thinking... remember how Ino would get upset or angry every time Itachi's name was mentioned? She hasn't been doing that lately either."

Inoichi stepped up to the desk, slapping the folder onto the polished wood and then turned to resume his rapid pacing.

"Never trust your eyes," he growled out.

Shikaku's eyes widened as he saw Naruto's ANBU file and his mind recalled Itachi's mysterious utterance just before he had defected.

Bits and pieces of theories and unexplained observations suddenly merged together, meshing perfectly to form a new and disturbing picture. There must have been something in the folder, something that everyone but Itachi had overlooked, something that revealed Kuushou's true nature. Perhaps his time training Kuushou had allowed him to see something everyone else had missed, or perhaps Kuushou had let something slip that he had carefully hidden from everyone else, some vital piece of information that allowed Itachi to discover what was really going on.

What happened in the forest, then? Did the revelation unhinge him, the loss of one of his few remaining friends to the tailed beast– no. Inoichi had already put together an alternate theory, and Shikaku could see how it fit. Itachi had confronted Kuushou, but he had done it privately, quietly; a loyal ninja would have immediately alerted the Hokage, but Itachi didn't. Even the fact that Itachi had left Naruto alive, a nearly unheard of mistake from one of the most skilled and thorough ninja Konoha had ever produced, fit – it wasn't an oversight brought on by disorientation or mental trauma; it was a_ ruse _to conceal what had really happened in that clearing.

And if he assumed that Itachi was the source of Kuushou's information, then many other inconsistencies were resolved. Itachi delivered the information on Akatsuki, Itachi provided the warning that Gaara was being targeted for assassination.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed as he reviewed Kuushou's relationships with the people in Konoha. The two most obvious were Itachi, who was now a missing-nin, and Ino, who had been subverted and could no longer be trusted to be loyal to Konoha first. Then there was Shizune, who had tried for years to gain custody of Naruto and was still not completely cleared of suspicion for the desertion of Tsunade and Kushina.

He paled, his eyes widening. Tsunade and Kushina didn't know, and one or both of them had helped Kuushou gain access to the Namikaze Compound. Jiraiya was also helping the tailed beast grow stronger, though he had fortunately been busy enough that keeping them apart was a simple and easily explained task. Jiraiya's ties with the Summons would ensure he would never willingly join Kuushou, but the same could not be said for Kushina. Even Tsunade was in doubt, despite the fact that she was the Slug Summoner; as far as he knew she was not a Sage and had never even attempted to pursue that path.

What about the other Clan Kids? Hinata had a crush on Naruto, though there was no indication that anything had come of it. Kiba and, to a lesser extent, Sasuke both attempted to compete with Naruto at every opportunity. Shikamaru, his own son, viewed him as an entertaining opponent for their weekly shougi matches and they had become close friends over the years. The others didn't have a particular attachment to him over and above the rest, but they all respected him. Had the tailed beast's manipulations extended to them as well and the adults just hadn't seen it, or dismissed it as childish playing?

Just how much had the tailed beast really accomplished before they realized what he truly was? What had he _really _been doing all those times he slipped away to practice on his own? Every time they thought they knew everything he had done another layer was revealed to show just how much they had missed.

Troublesome didn't even _begin_ to cover it.

* * *

-April 19th, 348 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Land of Earth, Fifty Kilometers Southeast of Iwagakure-

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru sighed as his squad leapt through the trees towards their next target. The fighting had already begun, and he was part of a team tasked with clearing and securing points of interest after the front line fighters had taken care of any initial resistance. They were also expected to function as the first wave of reinforcements, though he suspected that had more to do with the squad leader than anything else.

Everything was going according to Konoha's plans so far, more or less. The Hyuuga were out in full force, every able-bodied ninja in the clan deployed as Konoha and Suna swept across Iwa like a plague – every bunker was uncovered, every cache of weapons plundered, every spot of resistance ruthlessly crushed. From the aftermath it looked like fighting so far had been relatively minimal, and at least in the areas they had seen there had been no deaths and few casualties.

His own team had a Hyuuga on it as well, though it was not one he was acquainted with. He had worked with Hinata as part of the Clan Kids and had a decent professional relationship with Neji, but both of them had been assigned to more sensitive areas. Instead he was working with a chuunin several years his senior, a girl named Matsubi. Another chuunin from a civilian background rounded out the subordinates on the squad. As for the leader...

"Everything is troublesome to you, Shika," Naruto remarked, smirking. The recently promoted tokubetsu jounin was proving to be an adept commander, as his relaxed, confident manner helped calm the nerves of the team he was leading. It also helped that he had officially been rated AA in combat following the abbreviated trials he had undergone. In the unlikely event that they encountered any resistance, he would be able to handle it on his own. They had yet to actually need to fight anyone, however.

"How many more targets are we supposed to secure today, Yamanaka-taicho?" Matsubi asked.

"Just two," Naruto replied. "The last update indicated that the scouts had uncovered two bunkers. One's just a glorified weapons cache but the second is a hardened position that the strike teams should be hitting soon. We are to seal up anything of value and then collapse the first one before we make our way to the second. Once there we are to begin fortifying and hold that position until we receive further orders."

Shikamaru frowned thoughtfully. "How far is that one from Iwagakure?"

"About twenty kilometers," Naruto replied after a moment.

Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully. That was close enough to be useful as a command post but far enough away that they would have time to detect and respond to any attacks – a ninja could cover that distance in under ten minutes if they pushed.

Thoroughly sweeping such a bunker would require the eyes of a Hyuuga, and having someone with Naruto's sealing experience would make the job both faster and safer. His other teammate, Yashiro, had a solid B combat ranking and specialized in ranged attacks, making for a good complement to the rest of the team.

They arrived at the weapons cache a few minutes later to find the strike team waiting for them.

"The cache was already emptied out by the time we got here – bastards left us a few parting gifts, though," the captain of the team said, spitting off to the side. "Two fucking gas tags and an exploding tag buried inside a broken crate filled with kunai, along with a sampling of the usual. Nothin' Winky here couldn't handle."

The leader was referring to their Hyuuga team member, one of the two living Hyuuga in all of Konoha who had lost one of their eyes and the only one still in active service. The one-eyed ninja – Hirota, Shikamaru thought his name was – bore the moniker easily, long since used to the name.

"We'll take it from here," Naruto interrupted, a lazy grin on his face. "You're on to the bunker next?"

The leader's expression grew somber and he nodded. "Yeah. We're supposed to meet up with some other teams first, though."

Shikamaru nodded in sympathy. Iwa had been retreating rapidly, but this close to the village itself that was likely to change. If the bunker was defended, it would be by well-rested ninja who were ready and waiting to repel any attackers. The attackers, on the other hand, would be far from fresh even if they regrouped and rested a little before they struck; unlike Iwa, Konoha couldn't afford to wait indefinitely.

It was uncertain whether they would be able to take the bunker intact at all, but they had been ordered to try.

"Good luck," Shikamaru said, his sentiment quickly echoed by his teammates. The strike team nodded in acknowledgment before they took off.

* * *

-April 20th, 348 NE-

-6:00 PM-

-Just Outside Of Iwagakure-

Sarutobi stared at the shimmering wall of harmless-looking dust and dirt that surrounded Iwagakure, most of his attention occupied with analyzing its properties and attempting to come up with counter measures. A smaller part, though much larger than he liked to admit even to himself, was focused on something entirely different.

He was tired.

Not physically, though he wasn't quite as spry and energetic as he had been in years long past; no, this was a weariness that had settled deep in his soul. From the moment he had heard about Iwa's jinchuuriki wiping out Taki he had known he would find himself on the field of battle once again. The drums of war had begun their familiar cadence, a beat that had once upon a time set his blood thrumming through his veins and, as Gai would put it, stoked the Flames of his Youth.

In years past he might have moved among his troops, offering encouragement here or advice there, making sure they were ready and getting a feel for their morale. He might have made grand speeches to the assembled forces, reminding them of what Konoha stood for and why their village had never and would never fall. He might have thrown himself into the preparations, refining his techniques and trying to master just one more technique that might prove to make the difference between victory and defeat.

He was older now, and wiser. And so very tired.

The lungs that had once bellowed war cries and rousing speeches now emitted quiet sighs. The ninja, though they respected and revered him, looked to other men for leadership and guidance now. All techniques he cared to learn had long since been mastered.

The drums may be beating once again, but this time he was simply going through the motions.

"We will win, Hiruzen," a quiet voice said from his right.

Sarutobi inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Shikaku as his successor – the second one, and that thought just served to increase the ache in his heart that little bit more – joined him.

"Sometimes I wonder if winning is even possible," he replied quietly. "We won the first war, and the second, and the third, did we not? And yet here we are again, fighting the same battles against the same enemies for the same reasons. What has changed? What has winning done for us?"

The younger man was silent for nearly a minute, his eyes watching the barrier surrounding their target as it rippled and glinted in the sunlight.

"We are still alive."

Sarutobi laughed ruefully, shaking his head and dismissing his prior thoughts. "Very true, Hokage-sama. There is that. But I'm sure you haven't come here to listen to the ramblings of an old man."

Shikaku nodded. "Jiraiya says he's got something."

Sarutobi swept his eyes across the barrier one more time, drawing in a deep breath and letting the fresh morning air fill his lungs. A shift in his mindset, a mental trick mastered long ago, hardened his eyes and cleared the last of his extraneous thoughts from his mind.

"Then let us see what he has for us."

He may be going through the motions, but he knew the tune by heart and he could still dance with the best of them.

* * *

-April 20th, 348 NE-

-6:30 PM-

-Just Outside Of Iwagakure-

Jiraiya sat back on his heels, admiring the barrier before him.

Hundreds of individual streams of chakra were woven together so tightly that not the tiniest gap could be seen – if the barrier were clothing, he doubted even a sowing needle would be able to penetrate the fabric. It wasn't _just _chakra, either, though that alone would have been impressive enough. No, it was fully elemental chakra, the majority of it earth-natured. There was just enough of a second type of chakra to identify the Tsuchikage's legendary Dust element in the mix; an observation confirmed through the sacrifice of a kunai, the chakra dissolving the metal like water sweeping away bubbles of soap.

And the sheer _scope _of it! The barrier towered nearly a forty meters in the air, completely solid all the way, and surrounded the entire village. He knew from examining it from higher vantage points that it curved over the village, protecting it from above as well. Iwagakure was a small village by modern standards, but even so the barrier must be enclosing nearly ten square kilometers. The barrier used to trap the nine-tailed beast had been rumored to be the largest ever actually used across the Elemental Nations, but this absolutely dwarfed that.

It almost made him feel sad that he was going to completely destroy it.

Almost.

"Jiraiya!" he heard his teacher bark, the sharp tone making him stiffen guiltily in a childhood reflex he'd never quite managed to get rid of before he controlled himself. He rocked back on his heels for a moment before pushing himself to his full height and turning to face the men approaching him.

"Yeah, Sensei?" he asked casually.

"You said you found something. Can you take it down?"

"Of course I can! Who do you think you're talking to? I am known-"

"A 'yes' would suffice," Sarutobi cut him off, though his lips twitched slightly. "What do you need to do?"

"This barrier is a work of art, Sensei... but it's an _old _work of art. Just studying the flow patterns I can tell that it's using Noriashi's Matrix. The design is incredibly efficient and stable, which made it the base of choice for just about any large scale array since it was created. I've even used it myself several times when I was starting out, such as- nevermind," he said quickly, noting the look of impatience on his teacher's face. "The point is that I _stopped _using it because I discovered a rather nasty flaw. The load balancing arrays don't account for the possibility of opposing chakra elements entering at the same time, and I couldn't fix it without rewriting the entire damn thing."

"They're only using Earth and Dust elements, though," Sarutobi pointed out. "Those aren't opposing."

Jiraiya just nodded, grinning. "You're right. As it is the only limit they have to deal with is chakra, and if they've been storing up chakra and pace themselves, we're looking at weeks before it starts to weaken."

Sarutobi frowned, looking at him pointedly.

"Luckily for us," Jiraiya said, grinning, "all we need to do is give it little boost."

* * *

-April 20th, 348 NE-

-7:00 PM-

-Inside Iwagakure-

Oonoki stretched, his bones crackling and shifting as his body protested the movement.

"Any new movements?" he asked.

"Some, Tsuchikage-sama," his ninja replied. "Both the Third and Fifth Hokages are speaking with Jiraiya near the barrier... My Lord, if you would just allow us to-"

"No." The denial was swift and firm. "We cannot afford to open a hole in the barrier long enough to strike at them."

"My Lord, you need only lower it long enough for the team to make it through from the inside. You need not worry about them returning. I would be proud to lead the assault myself if necessary."

Oonoki turned to eye the man for a moment, a grim smile on his face. "Your dedication is noted, but that is not my concern. If I thought the strike would succeed, I would lead the charge myself. No, my concern is that one of them would manage to take advantage of the opening. Sarutobi is sly and cunning, Jiraiya is powerful, and the Nara, while not as powerful on his own, makes the other two even more so. They are no doubt prepared for an attack – indeed, they may be intentionally trying to lure us out."

"My Lord, if we could kill even one of them-"

"It would be a great blow to Konoha, no doubt. But if even one of them were to penetrate the barrier, especially the Seal Master Jiraiya, then they could take it down from the inside. I am not willing to trade all of Iwa for the death of one man."

Another ninja approached, bowing low before he delivered his report. "Tsuchikage-sama, the Hokages and Jiraiya have fallen back for now. Jiraiya has inscribed a large sealing array at the base of the barrier, but no one is fueling it and it appears to be inactive at the moment. Masayune-sama is already working to decipher its purpose; so far he states that it is some sort of barrier technique itself."

Oonoki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... they could be trying to set up footholds in an effort to strike the moment we open our own barrier, or perhaps a safe area to work as they attempt to destroy it... Keep an eye on it, and inform me immediately if they start creating any more elsewhere."

* * *

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-1:00 AM-

-Twenty Kilometers SE of Iwagakure

Kuushou's eyes strained to make out the figures scurrying around the base of the barrier. This far away, he could just barely make out scurrying flecks of movement that were nearly washed out by the large wall of dust that concealed Iwagakure.

After securing the bunker, his team had been ordered to standby for further orders. The bunker itself had been cracked open when they arrived, evidence of powerful lightning and earth techniques scarring the fortification. The strike team they had been following was nowhere in sight, though he was unsure whether that meant they had perished or already moved on to another area. He hadn't bothered to track their signatures, though he would likely recognize them if he encountered them again. Well, other than the one-eyed Hyuuga – that particular one had been amusing enough to remember.

Since then he had just been waiting. He passed the time tracking the progress of the invading army as it slowly encircled Iwagakure, but the area he could sense wasn't particularly active. He also found himself constantly scanning for Ino's signature, even though he knew she was stationed far to the northeast. He had noted that Hinata had briefly been close enough to sense before moving farther south.

The other members of the team he was leading were currently asleep, resting in case they were called in as reinforcements. He personally thought that he would be the only one called up any time soon. None of the others were powerful enough or skilled enough to survive long in the bloody melee that would erupt once the assault on the village itself began.

He grinned in the darkness, his light purple eyes shining through the gloom. He was actually looking forward to the battle to come; not only would he get a chance to see just how well his human techniques stood up to stronger ninja, but it would no doubt serve to further his reputation. And then, once Iwagakure had been taken care of, the revelation that the village really didn't have any jinchuuriki would focus the attention of the Great Ninja Villages onto Akatsuki.

And past that... well, Kumo still had two of his brethren captive. That couldn't be allowed to continue.

His thoughts were interrupted when he sensed a messenger ninja racing towards the command tent. It seemed that something was finally happening. Less than a minute after the messenger entered, he left again, running towards the southwest. The jounin in charge of the group Kuushou was assigned to came out a moment later, flaring his chakra and rousing the other ninja in the camp.

Once everyone was assembled, he began snapping orders. "The following squads are to hold this position and prepare to receive wounded! Akimichi, Subaru, Hyousuke...," he continued, listing off a total of ten squads and thus forty ninja. "Everyone else is moving out towards Iwa. The Hokage says the barrier is coming down within the hour and we are going to be ready!"

The mood of the assembled group sharpened at the announcement, many of the ninja reflexively checking their gear to make sure all of their tools were ready and in place.

"Yamanaka!" the jounin snapped suddenly. "That doesn't apply to you. Your squad is now under my command, but you are to head out immediately and report directly to the Hokage. Any questions?"

Kuushou shook his head, already moving to gather up the rest of his gear. He had expected something like this, after all.

"Move it!" the jounin barked from behind him, spurring the rest of the group into action.

Shikamaru moved up beside him, the Nara's expression solemn. "Good luck, Naruto," he said.

Kuushou paused a moment before nodding in acknowledgment. "Same to you, Shika. And I wouldn't worry too much, I can't afford to die while you are in the lead," he added, referring to the running score of their shougi matches.

Shikamaru smirked. "You'll just have to get used to that."

* * *

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-1:45 AM-

-One Kilometer Of Iwagakure-

"You can't be serious," Kuushou growled, his temper threatening to get the better of him.

"Completely," Shikaku replied easily, his eyes still studying the map before him even as his hands were busy strapping pouches to his body. "You are to be held in reserve should either of the jinchuuriki show themselves. You are one of the best counters we have, and we can't afford for you to be pinned down or out of communication within Iwa itself should they try to flank us. Your presence here will also allow Jiraiya and Sarutobi-sama to direct our forces within Iwa instead of holding them in reserve as well."

"If you would just send me in then Iwa would fall that much quicker, saving lives there as well," he pointed out.

Shikaku lifted his head to stare him in the eyes, an unimpressed look on his face. "If you want to be involved in this battle, it will be as a counter to enemy jinchuuriki. Otherwise, your presence on the battlefield is not required."

Kuushou snarled, turning and stalking out of the tent. Things had been so much simpler when Sarutobi was still in command – though, on reflection, the old man was even _less _likely to let him fight, if for different reasons. As it was he was being held in reserve to combat a threat that would never appear, and in the end he would never set foot on the battlefield at all. There would be no tales of his combat prowess spreading throughout Konoha and the other villages after this, no glowing reports of enemies defeated and fellow ninja rescued to boost his reputation and raise his status.

He would be the ninja simply watching while others bled and died. Even those who understood why he was held back would probably still resent him on some level, especially when they realized that his AA rating put him in the top ten percent of Konoha's forces when it came to combat. He wouldn't put it past Shikaku to be doing this to achieve that very result, though he knew that the Hokage actually believed that Iwa still had possession of their jinchuuriki. That didn't make the situation any less annoying, however.

He came to a stop at the edge of the camp, climbing atop the stone wall to glare into the distance at the walls. He was close enough now to see the barrier clearly, to sense the hundreds of chakra signatures that were woven together, blending and merging as they formed the wall of shifting earth that protected the village. More ninja, including Shikaku, made their towards the village, leaving behind a skeleton crew to guard the base, mostly chuunin with the occasional tokubetsu jounin to command them.

It was ironic that they were keeping him and Gaara out of the fighting. Gaara probably could have turned the barrier against the village in a matter of moments, and Ryuudo could have used it to devastate them for certain. Of course, that would be relying on a jinchuuriki, and it was becoming clear that they didn't want to do that.

Something about the barrier shifted abruptly, drawing his attention. He focused on the feeling, narrowing it down and filtering out the other sensations until he found the source emanating from Jiraiya's array. Wind-natured chakra was entering the barrier, the single thread flowing around and through the other strands as it joined the others already present. There was a slight disruption where it interrupted some of the earth-natured threads, but those were quickly bridged and flowing smoothly after just a few moments. Whatever he was trying to do didn't seem to be working very well so far.

Jiraiya's thread continued on its path, eventually moving downwards towards the base of the walls until it hit what seemed to be the array that controlled the barrier itself. He winced at the sensation that followed – it was a distant echo of what he had experienced when he entered Ryuudo's seal the first time, the feeling of chakra tearing itself apart and slamming back together, ripping and grinding and shifting all the while.

The barrier's appearance changed, the flowing surface starting to move in fits and starts, the effect spreading like a ripple across the deceptively smooth surface. Gaps began appearing, small holes that revealed the interior of the village and allowed his senses to clearly penetrate for the first time. Those holes grew and shrank, moving seemingly at random as the barrier weakened even further.

Finally, with a flare of chakra that even the humans must have felt, the barrier collapsed. The failure of the technique was accompanied by the audible crack of shattering stone that echoed off of the mountains around Iwagakure. The immediate damage appeared to be limited to a section of the barrier several hundred meters long, but he could see other sections in the distance that had fallen as well, and the sections still standing were deteriorating rapidly.

He watched as Konoha and Suna ninja began pouring into the village, flashes of chakra and plumes of fire marking their progress as they began the assault. No doubt the Iwa-nin had been caught off guard by the sudden loss of their greatest defense, and he could tell that the initial attacks were penetrating deeply, especially those led by Jiraiya and Sarutobi. They were nearing the limits of his senses, but from their path they were probably heading directly towards the Tsuchikage's Tower.

It seemed unlikely that he would have a chance to take part at all.

* * *

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-3:00 AM-

-Ten Kilometers South of Iwagakure-

Gaara paced back and forth restlessly, his sandals clacking against the stony ground as he moved. Most of the ninja around him giving him a wide berth as they sensed his agitation. They no longer thought that he would lash out at them indiscriminately – a change in perception helped considerably by the fact that he hadn't killed any allies or civilians in nearly a year – but they also had no desire to test his newfound restraint.

He had been left behind while the bulk of Suna's forces – nearly ninety percent of their able-bodied ninja and yet still half the size of the force Konoha was fielding – closed in on Iwa. Baki wanted him kept in reserve until Iwa deployed their jinchuuriki, or so he said. Gaara probably wouldn't have taken the orders nearly as well as he did, but both Temari and Kankuro were still with him and keeping him calm.

"Looks like the barrier fell as planned," Kankuro reported. He was currently seated on the ground, his back against a small boulder and the hood of his combat suit pulled back to reveal his short, spiky hair. His eyes were closed and his fingers twitching seemingly at random as he controlled the small bird puppet currently wheeling in the sky above them. "No signals or flares so far."

Temari huffed quietly, her hands occupied with inspecting her battle fan for any minute imperfections. "If the barrier's down then this should almost be over," she replied, her voice tinged with relief.

Gaara frowned, stopping his restless movement as his gaze focused on the village to the north. He had hoped to join the assault at some point, to get a chance to explore his powers once more while destroying his enemies. The feeling when Ryuudo took control and pushed his fledgling control to the limits that his human body could support, the sensation of crushing the enemy ninja under a stony limb that both was and was not his own, the feeling of their panicked chakra washing over him as they tried to flee in terror... it had been intoxicating, and he couldn't wait to feel it again. Even more so if he was the one in control.

He had killed many people before, but that had been to make the screaming stop. Now that there was no more screaming, that the inside of his own head was – mostly – his own, he found that the thought of just striking out randomly was almost distasteful. But if they made themselves his enemy? If they threatened his family?

A wide, eager grin spread across his face, causing everyone but Kankuro – who didn't see it – and Temari – who had seen much worse – to unconsciously increase the distance between them. He could also feel the approval of his fellow prisoner welling up from within him, the youki somehow conveying a limited form of emotion to him.

Then the emotion abruptly changed, and he felt Ryuudo pulling him back into his mind until he felt the dry desert winds of his mindscape flowing across his skin. Most of his attention was still in the real world, but there was just enough focused inward for them to communicate clearly.

"Someone is coming," Ryuudo said without preamble.

"Who?"

"I don't know, but they're strong. Stronger than anyone in Suna."

"And they're coming here?"

"I think so. They seem to be heading straight towards us. And there's something above it, something- Akatsuki!" Ryuudo suddenly hissed. "I can feel Shijyou's jinchuuriki in the sky, and someone else is with her."

"Hey...," Kankuro said suddenly. "There's something in the sky approaching from the south. It's way too big to be a normal bird."

The jounin in command of their group, Norumaki, one of Baki's closest and most trusted friends, eyed the black-clad puppeteer for a moment before nodding. "Eyes open," he snapped to the rest of the group, "we may have company shortly. Temari, I want you in the air. Kankuro, coordinate with her."

"Got it," the blonde replied quickly, snapping her fan open and leaping into the air. She'd barely made it a meter before she found herself gently cocooned by a fist of earth.

"No," Gaara said quietly. "Too dangerous."

"Gaara?" Temari asked, her voice surprised and confused.

"I can feel it," he said, his body tense and his gaze focused southward. "It's a jinchuuriki."

The group was silent before a moment before they exploded into motion. "Shit, shit, shit," chanted Norumaki as adrenalin flooded his veins. "It's the Seven-Tail jinchuuriki, has to be. Fucking Iwa is ambushing us. Yuusuke, get word to the Kazekage, now. Takeha, make for the Konoha lines and make sure they know. One of the others is probably going to hit them soon, if they aren't already."

The two ninja left immediately, shedding their packs and any excess weight as they pushed their bodies for as much speed as they could achieve.

"Gaara... I don't care if they're flying, do everything you can to take them out. Throw fucking rocks at them, I don't know. Just make it happen."

Gaara didn't say anything, his gaze focused at ground level to the south. Ryuudo was telling him that whoever it was was getting close.

"Gaara!" Norumaki snapped. "Snap out o-"

A wall of earth exploded out of the ground as fast as he could manage, but he was still too slow to block the attack completely. A stream of water lanced into the clearing, the tip of the attack razor-sharp. It barely missed Gaara as the ground around his feet wrapped around his legs and shifted him sideways, moving him out of the way of the attack. The lance of water flew past Gaara and his siblings, slicing into and through three of the ninja still present before slamming into and through the rocks behind them and disappearing into the distance.

The rest of the attack was cut off by his wall, though he could feel the water drilling into the chakra- and youki-hardened substance with surprising effectiveness. He reinforced the wall, hardening it further as well as adding more raw material, and the attack ended after a few more seconds.

Ryuudo informed him that the two ninja in the sky were bypassing the group entirely, splitting up as they chased after the messengers Norumaki had dispatched. That left a single ninja against himself, Temari, Kankuro, and Norumaki.

Almost absently, he released Temari from her cocoon and began walking forward, putting some distance between himself and the others.

"Heh...," came the amused voice of the ninja attacking them. "Not bad, Red."

The ninja that finally stepped into view from behind a small rock outcropping was tall, very tall. He was clad in a black cloak decorated with red clouds that covered most of his form and had a straw hat covering his head. The bit of skin he could see on his face was... blue? There was also a large, cloth-wrapped bundle on his back. As he watched, one arm emerged from the cloak and grabbed the handle that stuck out of the bundle, the exposed limb confirming that yes, his skin actually was blue.

Norumaki moved to the left, beginning to circle around the attacker. Temari and Kankuro did the same to his right, his brother swiftly unwrapping his puppet and flexing his fingers as he prepared for battle.

"Stay back," Gaara commanded, one hand raised in warning.

"Better listen to him," the Akatsuki-nin said as he pulled the bundle off of his back. "Don't give a shit about the rest of you, but Red here has to go, one way or the other."

A blurred figure swept down from the sky behind the ninja, the vaguely arrow-shaped thing aimed straight for him. The cloaked figure didn't even bother to turn, just swung the bundle behind him and swatted the thing out of the air effortlessly, the blow accompanied by the sound of shattering wood.

A victorious cry from Kankuro cut off suddenly in a strangled exclamation. "What? How did you-?"

"Puppeteer, right?" asked the figure, sounding bored. "Yeah, whatever little traps you had on that thing aren't going to work."

"What happened?" Norumaki called out.

"My connection to the puppet just... vanished!" Kankuro shouted back, alerting his allies to the ninja's odd ability.

"You gonna back off or not?" the ninja asked.

None of the Suna-nin facing him replied, though Norumaki and his siblings shifted uncomfortably. Gaara just continued to wait, more and more of Ryuudo's youki flooding through him as he prepared for the battle.

The attacker shrugged, the motion barely visible under the cloak. "Time's a'wastin'," he said, "and it wouldn't do for me to let Red here build up any more chakra, would it?"

Gaara's eyes widened slightly before he abruptly attacked, stone claws rising out of the rocky ground below the ninja and swiping at his form. The ninja began moving quickly, dodging some attacks and using the bundle as a bludgeon to shatter others. Temari took to the sky to gain some distance, one hand pulling out a smaller fan while the other held onto the larger fan she was crouching on. Kankuro seemed uncertain for a moment, but he eventually began circling the attacker, keeping his puppet nearby and sending out streams of poisoned needles. Norumaki cursed as his hands blurred through seals and sent blades of winds ripping forwards, the nearly invisible attacks distorting the air.

The ninja closed in rapidly, the bundle blurring in his hands as he slapped aside the attacks with almost contemptuous ease. In a matter of seconds he was upon Gaara, the larger side of the bundle sweeping horizontally towards his torso and connecting – only for Gaara's form to burst into shards of stone and earth.

"Not bad at all...," the ninja said even as the earth beneath his feet began to tremble.

* * *

**A/N: Not much commentary for this one.**

**Regarding my update schedule: there haven't been any major, earth-shaking or life-changing events taking place, just a lot of little things that I needed to take care of and that ended up distracting me. I should be (hopefully) getting back into the swing of things, but I'm not going to commit to any sort of date for the next chapter. I _will _be working on it, however, so this is not a hiatus or the like.**

**I also expect that the next thing I post will either be a chapter of Ramen Days or a one-shot for another fandom that won't get out of my head. **

**As for the admin crackdown that's been going on regarding MA and non-compliant fics... I'm of two minds about it. On the one hand the rules have been posted for quite some time and are relatively clear, and on the other just outright deleting stories (as it seems they have done) seems very abrupt and excessive. At the very least they should provide warning and/or backups. I also don't agree with some of the policies, but they _are _posted.**

**That said, it has prompted me to look into other fanfiction sites, and I'll be posting my stories on AO3 and yourfanfiction in the coming days. I'll still be posting everything I write here as well, so there won't be anything new if you've already read it here.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	49. Snake Eyes, Part II

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-3:15 AM-

-Ten Kilometers South Of Iwagakure-

Temari watched from her vantage point in the sky as the massive stone form of the tailed beast rose out of the ground once more. It was difficult to make out details in the dim moonlight, even with the Owl-Sight jutsu, but there was enough illumination that she could make out its tail flicking back and forth behind it.

The thought that her brother was working with the beast was both comforting and horrifying. Comforting, because it meant he would remain safe against the many threats to his life. Horrifying, because before that day she would have considered the tailed beast far more of a threat to their safety than any ninja could hope to be.

She still wasn't sure that had actually changed.

The strange ninja – a jinchuuriki, based on what Gaara had said earlier – dodged the stone claws and the tail that swiped at him with surprising ease. A few times it seemed like he was about to take a hit, but somehow he avoided them.

His response was odd, too. He was still waving that large bundle around, sweeping it all around him like he was swatting at flies, but he never used it to block or strike at the stone construct directly. And, whenever he had a spare moment, he would launch a jutsu – always water, from what she could see – at the beast, the attacks splashing off the beast without any apparent effect.

She was still sending blades of wind at the ninja, using the darkness and his distraction against him, but the bundle always intercepted them. Kankuro had retreated far from the battle, studying their opponent and looking for weaknesses. Norumaki had retreated with Kankuro at first, then taken off to the north. If she had to guess, he was going to alert the reinforcements about the current situation.

The tailed beast suddenly dropped low to the ground with a loud _thud_, and for a moment she was worried that the other jinchuuriki had wounded it somehow. Then she saw the pale shadows on the rocky terrain shifting as the ground curled upwards and inwards, churning and crushing everything within. She lost sight of the enemy as he was caught up in the attack, and began to breathe easier. Even if it didn't kill him out right, that surely must have-

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open as massive waves of water appeared out of thin air, towering high above the rocky outcroppings before rushing inwards. They slammed into the tailed beast's form with a thundering roar, batting the creature back and forth with astonishing force.

And there, on the very crest of the last wave, was the other jinchuuriki. He had unwrapped the bundle to reveal something that was vaguely sword-shaped. She couldn't make out the details from this distance, but the way it reflected the moonlight showed that its surface was very uneven. The ninja rode the wave towards the tailed beast, and, when he was close enough, leapt.

The beast's tail whipped around to intercept him, something that should have been a certain hit given that the ninja couldn't dodge in mid-air. Instead the ninja swung the sword, striking the tail and cleaving through the hardened and unbelievably dense material as it was nothing.

The beast roared, the sound full of both anger and pain, and seemed to be momentarily stunned. The ninja didn't waste the opening, his sword carving deep into the beast's side as he struck again. There was another roar, then the beast's body seemed to explode outward as rocky spikes emerged from its form, flying in every direction. The ninja brought his sword in front of him, using its considerable size as a shield. Even protected from the blows as he was, the force still sent him flying away.

Temari didn't miss her chance. With the ninja's sword occupied and all of his attention focused on avoiding the beast's latest attack, his back was wide open. The fan she held in her hand swept through the air once, twice, and again. The blades, the sharpest she could make without needing handsigns, ripped through the air and struck.

Her grin faltered before it could fully form, however. The blades should have cut the man into pieces, but instead he just had three long slices across his back. Blood slowly leaked from the wounds, darkening his clothing and dripping to the ground, forming crimson pools that stood out sharply under the Owl-Sight jutsu. His head turned and stared in her direction for a long moment, then he seemed to dismiss her and moved his focus back to the tailed beast.

She growled in anger at being ignored, and put her fan away as she prepared to use some of her stronger and more draining techniques that required handsigns. Whatever defense he had wasn't perfect, that much she knew now. She would get another opening, and this time he wouldn't survive.

She wasn't sure what tipped her off. She might have seen something out of the corner of her eye, or perhaps her skill as a wind mistress helped her sense the disturbed air. Perhaps it made some noise that she didn't consciously register but still reacted to.

She abandoned the technique before it was even properly begun, instead dropping both hands to grip the large fan she was using to float and _pulled_. She rolled through the air, her body turning and spinning rapidly as she rode the currents, the sensation almost sickening in its intensity.

"Katsu!"

The next few moments were pure chaos. First was the sound, an earth-shattering thunderclap that she could feel in her bones. Mere moments after that, something slammed into her, jarring her body and almost flinging her off the fan. She held on firmly, her fingers nearly denting the metal frame as they dug in, and rode the fan as it tumbled through the air. Then came the heat as it washed over her, the sweat boiling off of her skin and her body feeling as it would catch on fire at any moment.

She righted herself automatically, her body operating on instinct even as her mind tried to sort itself out. She blinked rapidly, trying to restore the disrupted Owl-Sight technique as she scanned the dark skies for the source of what must have been an attack. What had it been, anyway? An exploding tag attached to a flying puppet?

She saw the cloud of smoke hanging in midair immediately, the remains of the explosion already dissipating as the winds tore through it. It took her a couple of seconds longer to locate what must have been the source, a ninja wearing the same style and color of cloak as the jinchuuriki down below. He wasn't wearing the straw hat, though, revealing his long blond hair that hung over his face on one side, obscuring his features. He was crouched on top of what seemed like a bird, though its skin was the color of clay.

"I'm surprised, un," he called out, his voice sounding a lot younger than she had expected. "You didn't even see it coming and still dodged it, un." His hands were busy doing something, one digging into a pouch at his side while another was clenching and unclenching. He was probably preparing another puppet to attack her with.

She didn't bother to reply, instead pulling out her smaller fan and sweeping it through the air.

The bird banked through the air, narrowly avoiding the blades of wind. One scored a long, shallow gash on its stomach, and Temari's eyes narrowed as the gash sealed itself. Obviously the ninja could repair the puppet somehow, which would make things a little harder.

Then she spotted the object winging its way towards her. It was... a smaller bird? Clay colored again, she noted. She swung her fan, sending several blades towards it, but it managed to dodge them. Her opponent clearly had some experience fighting in the air, but he was badly mistaken if he thought he could best her in her element.

She spread the fan slightly, then curled it as she swept it through the air again. The bird tired dodge only to find itself flung backwards as a wall of air slammed into it.

"Katsu!" she heard the other ninja call out. The moment she heard the first syllable she yanked on the fan she was riding, gaining extra distance from the bird. As expected, the thing exploded, but with the extra distance she just had to ride out the turbulence as the explosion rippled through the air.

She swept the skies again, making sure to watch carefully for the birds this time. There was already another one coming towards her, and the larger bird the ninja was riding was trying to gain altitude as it circled her. She sent another wall of air towards the small bird, sending it tumbling, but this time the ninja didn't activate the exploding tag. He released another bird, then another, even as he himself fought to gain still more altitude.

In response, Temari began sending out a mixture of blunt and sharp attacks, stunning and then cutting apart the birds. Even as she dealt with those, she began climbing higher herself, not wanting to give her opponent the height advantage. The larger bird banked sharply again, this time heading straight for her, and the ninja flung his hands out.

It wasn't birds this time, though. Instead it was a lot of little objects that were almost too small to make out. Judging by everything else he'd done, however, it was a safe bet that they would explode, and she definitely didn't want any part of that.

Her arm started to ache as it strained to pull the fan through the air as fast as possible, sending gusts of air above and around her that kept the small objects – spiders? – well away from her. She noted that the ninja was floating above her, moving in a small circle as he watched her fend off his latest attack. His hands were busy – no doubt creating more of these things – and he was standing at a slight angle as he tilted the bird to allow a better look.

She grinned to herself, and in the midst of dealing with the spiders she sent two blades whistling towards him. One to where he would be in a moment, and one to the only place he could safely dodge in time.

He cursed as he saw the attack coming and turned the bird almost sideways as he increased the speed and degree of his turn... and then cursed again when the second blade of wind sheared off one of the bird's wings. He clung to the bird as it began tumbling through the air, his hand pushing against its body as he scrambled to do something.

Temari raised her fan again, a vicious smirk on her face as she prepared to destroy the upstart who dared challenge her in the sky... and then she felt the warning again, the same one that had saved her life earlier.

This time she wasn't fast enough to react.

Something slammed into her back, and she could feel her spine bending almost too far and several ribs cracking as she was launched forward, off of her fan. As she tumbled through the air, the wind whipping at her clothes and whistling in her ears, she caught glimpses of a girl with six green wings streaking towards the ninja she had been fighting.

She had managed to maintain her hold on her smaller fan, and she swept it desperately back and forth as she oriented herself and began trying to slow her descent. The ground was approaching awfully fast, rising to meet her, and she didn't think she'd be able to slow down in time.

Then she wasn't thinking anything at all.

* * *

-3:20 AM-

"Thanks, un," Deidara panted as Fuu lowered him to the ground. The large bird he had been riding lay nearby, its right wing still only half-formed from where he had managed to repair it before Fuu grabbed him.

"No problem," Fuu responded, slowly calming down as the thrill of fear and adrenaline drained out of her. Her arms tightened around his waist momentarily, and she looked up at his face as if to convince herself that he was really fine.

Deidara stared down at her for several seconds, neither saying anything, then he abruptly looked away and cleared his throat. "How is Kisame-danna doing?" Deidara asked, gently loosening her arms.

Fuu stepped back regretfully, disappointed that the embrace was ending but thrilled with what she'd seen in his eyes before he looked away – he hadn't disliked it, not at all.

"I think he's trying to drown the Ichibi, judging by how much water he's flinging around. He must have been draining a ton of chakra off the thing to get that much."

"Good so far, then," Deidara nodded, moving back to his bird and resuming his work on the damaged wing. "Now that the sister's been taken care of, we should have free reign to strike from above. We need to finish this up before any reinforcements get here."

"Alright," Fuu nodded. "See you up above," she said, grinning, before she spread her wings and took to the air. She flitted back and forth, simply reveling in the feeling of being in the air for a moment, then focused on the fighting below.

Kisame was jumping around on top of the water – the sheer volume of which was approaching a small lake by this point, held in place by a combination of the terrain and a lot of chakra – easily dodging the strikes the Ichibi launched from the edge of the lake. Even as she watched, another massive wall of water rose up behind the beast and slammed into it, sending it tumbling into the lake despite its attempts to hold firm. Kisame ran forward, his sword raised, then suddenly paused. After a moment, he abruptly started pulling water out of the lake and forming some sort of attack above his head. Rather than doing anything with it, though, he just kept adding more and more water.

She couldn't see the Ichibi at all, and was starting to wonder if it actually was possible to drown a Bijuu when a sharp crack resounded from down below, echoing off the nearby mountains for several seconds as the sound slowly diminished. Kisame started pulling water into his attack even faster, but she didn't see anything happening aside from that at first.

Then she noted that the water level was dropping far faster than Kisame's attack could account for, the water draining downward where it had refused to spread sideways.

Deidara joined her a moment later, his clay bird flapping its wings lazily as he circled nearby. "What's happening? What was that sound, un?"

"I'm not sure...," Fuu said slowly, staring at the rapidly disappearing water, "but I think the jinchuuriki just cracked open the ground to drain the water away."

Deidara whistled lowly. "Bet Kisame-danna's pissed about that one, un" he muttered.

Below, Kisame seemed to be looking around, still keeping the massive ball of water he had managed to salvage suspended above him. He abruptly leapt into the air, avoiding the gaping maw of the Ichibi as it snapped closed where he had been standing moments before, the teeth falling just shy of his feet. He swung his sword down, sending the water spiraling at the Ichibi. The tip of the attack was spinning like a drill, but failed to pierce the outer layer of the Ichibi.

Undaunted, Kisame readied his sword as he fell towards the beast.

Fuu turned to see Deidara grinning at her. "Care to give me a lift, un?" he asked. "I think Kisame-danna might have a better use for my ride here than I do, un."

Fuu matched his grin as she wrapped her arms around his waist again and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, making sure to not interfere with her wings. The bird he had been riding swept forward and began diving through the air, streaking towards the Ichibi's form where it was battling Kisame.

Kisame saw the attack coming, and rather than dodging the next swipe of the Ichibi's claws blocked with Samehada, allowing the attack to launch him away. The bird splattered against the stone construct, spreading to cover nearly a third of its form, and Deidara slowly raised one hand, an excited shiver running through his frame.

"Art is a bang, un! Katsu!"

Ever as far away as they were, the shockwave slammed into Fuu hard, sending her tumbling through the air for several seconds. Her grip tightened on Deidara, though not so hard that she actually hurt him. After a few moments she leveled off and began slowly floating to the ground. She could get them there faster, sure, but then she'd have to put Deidara down faster.

Slow and steady it was.

"That was a good one, un," Deidara said, his voice satisfied as his eyes surveyed the damage.

Fuu turned to look as well. The area where the Ichibi had been standing was a charred and smoking crater. She could make out pieces of what might have been its claws and possibly its tails, scattered around the area, but there was nothing left that resembled the tailed beast that had been battling Deidara.

What was left was a large ball of stone that appeared to be slowly dissolving into sand. She floated closer as a red haired ninja tumbled out of the sand, landing on his hands and knees with an audible groan. He slowly struggled to his feet, his face rising to stare at her with an expression of absolute hatred and loathing. Fuu could see Kisame approaching from the west, Samehada wrapped up again and hefted over his shoulder.

Before any of them could do anything further, something _wrong _washed over them, disrupting Fuu's control and sending both her and Deidara tumbling the last few feet to the ground. She shot to her feet, prepared to fight off whatever it was, only to see nothing in any direction. The only thing she could make out was the light of dawn starting to creep over the horizon to the northeast. There was no enemy, no technique about to assault their position. Nothing.

Then another wave of that... _wrongness_ hit, making her stumble once again. She saw Gaara falling back to his knees as well, both hands clutching at his head. Kisame and Deidara didn't seem affected, but both were staring to the northeast, their eyes narrowed.

She looked again, wondering what had them so stunned. It took her several seconds before she realized that what she had initially thought was the beginnings of dawn on the horizon couldn't be – dawn was still hours away. That meant that the glow that seemed to light up the night had to be a massive blaze of some sort.

In the middle of a rocky plain.

* * *

-3:00 AM-

-One Kilometer East Of Iwagakure-

It was about an hour after the barrier surrounding Iwa fell that Kuushou sensed a familiar signature approaching rapidly – that of the resurrected form of Minato Namikaze. It was likely that Orochimaru was targeting him once again, but despite that knowledge his focus was drawn to the signature accompanying him. This other signature was, while not all that strong, far and away the oddest he had ever sensed. It was foul and twisted and only vaguely human, yet he could sense dozens, maybe hundreds, of distinct human signatures within it.

Unlike the resurrection technique that Orochimaru favored, where the signatures – though there was only one this time, he noted – were subsumed and melded into what he assumed was some approximation of Minato Namikaze's chakra signature as it had been in life, this other being had no separate signature. Or perhaps it would be better to say that its signature _was _that of the hundreds within it.

The second ninja, whoever it was, stopped about two kilometers away while Orochimaru continued to approach, his speed actually increasing. Kuushou readied himself for battle, increasing the flow of his youki and reinforcing his limbs.

Orochimaru's speed increased further.

And then further still.

The other ninja who had remained in the outpost once the battle started, mostly messengers who focused on their speed and stamina, turned as they sensed the approaching ninja, the chakra being used to increase his speed reaching levels that they could detect even without being sensors. They had foregone the use of torches or other light sources, both to avoid revealing their position as well as preserve their night vision, and most were utilizing the Owl-Sight jutsu to boost it even further. In theory they should be able to identify any approaching threats nearly as well as they could in daylight.

The closest died, their bodies ripped apart by the swirling orbs of energy held in Minato's hands, before they had finished turning to look. Their blood splashed across the nearby walls and even their fellow ninja, forming darker patches amongst the ground in the pale light provided by the moon.

Kuushou, even with the warning provided by his senses, found himself hard pressed to react as the white blur raced in his direction. Rasengan met rasengan once more, but unlike before Orochimaru was not repelled; instead Kuushou felt the angles of attack shifting rapidly, forcing his hands and arms wide and making him scramble to avoid the attacks pressing on him.

He channeled chakra and youki into the ground, changing dirt into mud that tried to suck in any foot that stepped upon it, stone into spikes that lanced upwards, and hurling rocks in every direction in an effort to strike the resurrected Hokage. Every attempt was avoided or destroyed, the puppet driving him back even more, his efforts with his own rasengan barely serving to protect him.

The other ninja, the seven still surviving, split up. Four leapt forward to join in the fight while three began to run out of the base, each choosing a direction that would allow them to reach reinforcements and spread word of another attack.

Two of those attempting to leave died as kunai sank into their skulls, and the third was torn apart as Orochimaru briefly broke off his attack to deal with them. The other four fared no better, and Kuushou made no move to assist or protect them, instead focusing his efforts on his next attack.

Orochimaru, still moving fast enough that Kuushou could barely track his form visually, turned once more and closed the distance between them. Just before he reached melee range the air around him exploded, a swirling tornado of fire forming out of midair. Kuushou added sweeping wind blades to the attack, threatening to cut his foe apart as well as providing even more fuel to the fire.

Orochimaru responded with an unknown wind technique that ripped the tornado apart from the inside out despite Kuushou's attempts to reform it. His opponent chose to resume his direct assault rather than shifting to ninjutsu, however, and Kuushou found himself fending off the rasengan once more. Ripping the earth apart beneath the man's feet barely slowed him, and even the lightning techniques he attempted to use were avoided or neutralized with disgusting ease.

The man was attacking with a single-minded purpose and incredible focus, and even forming nearly a dozen clones and rapidly using kawarimi to swap places with several of them did not throw the man off. He was seriously contemplating manifesting his youki despite his exposed position when Orochimaru finally slipped through his guard.

All it took was a the smallest opening, his arm getting forced a little too wide after blocking an attack. Orochimaru twisted his arm sharply, the blow that had been aimed at his shoulder suddenly shifting to target his stomach instead, and the first true blow of the battle landed. The rasengan tore through his flak jacket as if it were paper, his reinforced skin faring no better. The sphere left a bloody furrow several inches long before he could twist enough to get away from it, and he began healing the damage even as he prepared to fend off the followup.

Which never came.

Minato's body stopped moving, standing across from him with a wide grin on its face. An earth clone formed from the ground between them, chuckling to itself before suddenly leaving in a shunshin. Kuushou tracked the clone, noting that it was heading directly for the other signature that had accompanied Orochimaru earlier.

What was the point of that?

"You are very good," Orochimaru said, sounding like he was genuinely impressed. "Not only have you regained full use of the arm I detached earlier, but you managed to keep up with me for a time without calling upon those fascinating chakra limbs."

Kuushou didn't respond, instead trying to wrap the earth beneath the puppet around it, trapping it. Orochimaru shifted abruptly, briefly blurring before he was standing several meters away, and the earth closed around empty air.

"You also have an incredible utility-"

A much larger patch of earth attempted the same maneuver with just as little success.

"-with sealless jutsu. It has been a _very _long time since I've seen the like. Tell me, how did you manage it?"

Kuushou stared at him for several seconds. This fight was not going at all the way he had anticipated, and he found that he didn't care for the experience. He started pushing more youki out of the seal, accepting that the abilities that he normally used were not going to be sufficient here. He could utilize nearly double the youki he had been using up to this point, with the associated increase in his range to match, and after seeing how easily Orochimaru negated his attacks it seemed he would need it.

As he did so, he finally deigned to reply to Orochimaru. "Practice," he said, smirking. "I imagine you acquired your skill at violating corpses the same way."

Orochimaru just chuckled. "Yes," he hissed, "I suppose you have noticed how much greater my control over this form is. It was a mistake to split my attention, I see that now. Focus, familiarity... those are the keys to unlocking the power of this technique."

The clone that had left earlier had reached the second ninja and dispelled itself after a few seconds, whatever message it carried delivered. The other ninja still wasn't moving, though.

"I've learned a bit more about you," Kuushou noted. "I'm surprised you are willing to admit that other ninja are so superior to you, that you would use their forms over your own."

"Like so many others, you fail to see the true genius of what I have accomplished," Orochimaru retorted. "No techniques can be hidden from me, no style can remain beyond my reach. I can utilize the form best suited for whatever task I desire, for as long as I need, with no risk to myself. My own skill does not dull, but instead grows! Wounds that would destroy lesser ninja are _nothing _to me!"

Kuushou flexed his body's hands, feeling the body quivering under the strain of containing his youki. He lay coiled, ready to spring forth and destroy this body just as he had before. Orochimaru had grown faster, but not so fast that he could not respond at all. He _twisted _his youki, then began filtering it into the ground, spreading it out in all directions. Orochimaru did not react, even when the youki flowed directly under his feet and beyond.

His next strike would not be so easily avoided.

Kuushou was distracted from his task when he felt the chakra of the second ninja suddenly shift. It wasn't the sort of shift he would associate with someone reinforcing their body or even preparing a technique, however. Instead, the entire signature suddenly altered, all of the disparate signatures unifying into a single signature, then changing into... into...

Into he didn't know what. It felt both more and less human-like than it had before, simultaneously like how he would expect a human to feel and the exact opposite. The new signature also seemed very odd, like he should know it, and yet he couldn't place who it belonged to.

"Still, it doesn't matter," Orochimaru said after a moment when he failed to respond. "Despite your valiant struggles and impressive skill, this is as far as you go. It is your misfortune to be more useful to me dead than alive."

Kuushou turned his attention back to Orochimaru, grinning at the man's arrogance. "You haven't managed to kill me yet. As I recall, I tore you to pieces the last time, and I-"

He abruptly stumbled as he felt something piercing his leg. He looked down, expecting to find a kunai or some other weapon sticking out of him and wondering how he had missed the attack, only to see nothing. Just a ragged hole nearly an inch across sticking completely through the middle of his thigh. Despite the lack of any physical object his flesh was behaving like something was there, pushing and twisting against thin air as if it was a solid barrier. Even the blood was held back like something was blocking it, though it leaked out around the edges of the hole.

He placed one hand over the wound, encountering no resistance. He even pushed into the wound slightly, his hand finding nothing and yet his leg still acting like something was there. Just as abruptly as it had appeared, the phantom object withdrew, gouging his leg and scraping bone as it moved. Blood started flowing freely now, and Kuushou quickly set to work fixing the damage even as his focus returned to Orochimaru.

"What sort of technique is this?" he growled.

Orochimaru on the other hand looked fascinated. "A very unique one," he murmured. "Tell me, what do you feel? Can you describe the sensations? How does it interact with your body?"

The phantom object abruptly stabbed into his stomach, pulling and twisting and tearing as the tip moved about drunkenly.

"Do you find it more or less painful to be wounded in this fashion?" Orochimaru continued, his eyes glinting.

Frowning, Kuushou realized that he couldn't feel Orochimaru's chakra doing anything, and that he felt the second ninja's pulsing wildly.

"You aren't doing this," Kuushou said suddenly, his eyes widening. "How...?"

The object withdrew again, leaving his stomach to dig into his arm a moment later, starting at the elbow and then dragging downwards.

It would be difficult to fight like this, even if he could correct the damage almost as quickly as it was caused. It worried him more that he couldn't sense _how _this was being accomplished, however. He rapidly withdrew his youki from the ground, returning it to his body in preparation.

"I don't know yet," Orochimaru admitted candidly, "but I _will _be finding out, in time. So many things to research still..." His eyes grew distant, seeming to dismiss his presence entirely as he became lost in thought.

Kuushou burst into motion the next moment, using a shunshin to rapidly close the distance between himself and the second ninja. He stumbled and fell before he was even halfway there was his left foot was torn apart, and Orochimaru was upon him a moment later.

"Kukukuku..." he laughed. "Such vitality! Do you know if this is common among all jinchuuriki? Is your accelerated healing inherent in your condition?"

The object withdrew from his foot and slammed into his chest, opening a hole in the middle of his heart.

"Alas..." Orochimaru muttered quietly. "It seems my questions will have to wait for another time."

Kuushou slumped back against the ground, his eyes growing glassy as he stared at the sky.

Then he was blinded by a bright yellow flash, and the smell of burnt flesh assaulted his senses even as something landed on top of him.

* * *

-3:00 AM-

-Twenty Kilometers Northeast Of Iwagakure-

Ino remained still as she awoke, trying to determine what had pulled her from her sleep. There were a few other ninja in the barracks, tossing and turning and snoring as they took what rest they could, but she had long ago learned how to filter out those sorts of sounds. There was no one moving around, no one trying to sneak up on her, and the door was still closed.

Despite all of that, something was wrong.

She pulled herself up, tapping the floor in a quick signal to wake the other ninja. Flaring her chakra might draw notice, and shaking them directly would almost certainly get her a kunai or two for her trouble, so noise would have to do. The others woke quickly as the rhythmic sound filtered through their dreams, all of them as still and silent as she had been.

She found a jounin standing beside her a moment later, a long scar on one side of her face pulling the side of her mouth into a permanent frown. "What is it, Yamanaka?" the woman asked quietly, scanning the room.

"Something's wrong."

The woman's frown deepened, but she nodded. She knew all too well that you ignored a ninja's instincts at your own peril.

"You're with me, then rest of you pair off and get ready. We can get back to sleep once we've confirmed that the outpost is secure."

The woman stalked towards the door, moving low, her footsteps completely silent. She paused at the door for a moment, then slowly pulled it open. The night was quiet and still, their outpost – meant to serve as reinforcements for the reinforcements – far enough away from the fighting that they couldn't even detect the massive surges of chakra that marked the battle for Iwa.

Ino paused, shaking her head. There was a slight buzzing in her head, an odd sensation that she'd never felt before.

"What? You hear something?" the jounin asked.

"No, but..." she paused, noting that the buzzing was getting stronger and starting to pick up definition. It wasn't a sound at all, actually, but a bundle of sensations. When she focused on it, tried to really understand what she was sensing, it suddenly became understandable.

It was oddly muted, but she could practically see it in her mind, a smoking mountain shaking with barely restrained fury, its molten rage spilling forth from cracks up and down its height, advancing across the torn and twisted landscape. It covered hills and valleys, rivers and forests alike in a slow, inevitable march, its approach as unstoppable as the tides of the ocean or a storm covering the sky. And underlying it all was a sense of bottomless depths, of a great well of power without limit.

She'd never felt something like this before, and yet she had, something within her telling her that she should know what this was. And she thought she did – it reminded her of-

"Oh Kami," she breathed. "It's a jinchuuriki. A jinchuuriki is coming."

The woman stared at her for a moment, then her eyes widened and she started flaring her chakra and shouting at the top of her lungs as she moved away to alert everyone else.

The camp exploded into activity, the guards who had been awake already scrambling to locate the source of the attack while those who had been resting threw themselves out of their beds, most of them ready almost as quickly as they had remained fully clothed, most merely needing to attach their pouches and bits of armor before they joined the guards.

Then a torrent of lava lanced through the outpost, dividing it in half even as the buildings caught fire and ninja began screaming in fear and agony.

Ino snapped out of her trance and scrambled to reach higher ground, moving away from the heat. She scanned the area to the east, knowing that was where the source of the attack was, even as another arc of lava spewed forth, almost seeming to emerge directly from the ground. It swept towards the outpost, leaving a trail of heat and devastation as it cut through the outpost again.

Ninja were moving in that direction now, their chakra flaring in anger as they responded to the attack. The bundle of sensation in her head suddenly pulsed, and she tried to scream at the ninja to fall back, but she was too late.

Instead of lava, a towering inferno seemed to spring out of midair, twisting and growing as it grew wider and wider. It towered hundreds of feet in the air and was already easily twice as wide, but still it continued to grow as it advanced across the rocky terrain.

Water slammed into the wall, trying to douse it, and earth tried to smother it, but to no effect. The ninja began retreating, abandoning their attack as they fled, taking their injured comrades and what supplies they could salvage as they did so.

Ino moved to join them, then stumbled and fell as the sensation suddenly pulsed again, stronger than ever before. A loud roar ripped through the night, and beyond the wall of fire that was still advancing she could see a large form rising up, four tails flailing behind it and two massive arms stretching towards the sky. Then the two hands joined together, the fingers interwoven and the muscles bulging and she _knew _what was about to happen, knew as clearly as if someone had whispered it into her ear.

Her hands began flashing through handsigns faster than they ever had before, her eyes wide and her breath coming in terrified pants. She wasn't fast enough to escape this on foot, none of them were.

Akkai's hands swept down, cutting through the air faster than anything that large had a right to, and slammed into the ground with an earth-shaking boom. Ino whimpered even as her hands moved faster, praying desperately that she could make it in time.

The ground below erupted, lava spewing in all directions and turning the rocky terrain into a simmering cauldron of molten earth. She felt the building beneath her give way, her leg making contact with something that caused a flash of pain that ended far too quickly, and something else that scraped across her back, leaving a trail of raw agony carved into it. Her body screamed in pain, but she pushed through it, not daring to slow or even stop.

Then she completed the last handsign.

She remained in the Void for several seconds, her eyes screwed shut and her body trembling. Slowly, she allowed herself to feel out the connections to the Hiraishin seals. One led her back to her current position, and she shuddered when she saw just how close she was to being swallowed up by a column of lava. The thing that had scraped across her back was another such column, and if she had been a meter further to the left, or if the building hadn't given way... she would have been swallowed by it completely.

She tried not to look at her leg, reassuring herself that Naruto could fix that. He'd stuck his own arm back on, so surely that wasn't any worse.

Her mind flitted to the other seals, most of the ones in Konoha still in the same place, though the three tattooed on people were actually in Iwa now as their bearers fought. The seven that had been in Iwa before were... moving, actually. They were stuck in a box with a large assortment of other items, already several kilometers north of Iwa and almost a full kilometer underground. She could make out several ninja in the immediate area, all of them young and grim-faced and a couple even crying. Then there was Kushina's seal, which showed the woman somewhere along the coast far to the east, dressed in ANBU-style gear in the middle of cutting another ninja in half, this one a Kumo missing-nin from his forehead protector.

And then she focused on the seal Naruto had inscribed on himself – on his bones, actually, which she still found a little disgusting – and had to stifle a scream. He was lying on his back on the ground, blood covering most of his form and a giant hole in the middle of his chest, sticking straight through his heart. His purple eyes were open and staring vacantly at the moonlit sky above him. A blond man in a white trenchcoat who looked oddly familiar was standing next to him, smirking.

She forced herself to calm. Naruto's body was irrelevant – something like that couldn't kill him. He was faking for some reason, likely to lure the man off guard for an attack of his own. In fact... now that her attention had been drawn to it, she could make out another bundle of sensations in her head, distinct from what she had felt from the jinchuuriki.

Curious, and knowing she had the time to really examine it, she focused on it. At first, she couldn't even tell that she was getting _anything _from it, but then she realized that the empty expanse she was currently floating in was still and silent, while the one she felt in her head was pulsing slowly, like someone's heartbeat.

She shifted uncomfortably, shrugging her shoulders. Something had changed, but she couldn't tell what. The image she was getting seemed empty and still, a stark and confusing contrast to the violent energy she had felt from Akkai. Was it because she was in the middle of the Hiraishin technique?

Then it pulsed again.

She hunched slightly, wondering why she felt so heavy.

Then it pulsed again, and something shifted. The black emptiness that surrounded her seemed to ripple, darkness flowing across darkness, a contrast of nothing that screamed out at her.

Then it pulsed again, faster and faster, and she felt herself being drawn towards something. She shouldn't be able to measure movement, as there was nothing to measure against, but she knew was getting closer to something. And as she did the heaviness became crushing, her body feeling like it was being flattened and stretched out, her every effort meaningless in the face of the force that now had control of her.

And she knew, just like she had known that Akkai's lava would spread to cover everything in time, that the something she was being drawn towards would never stop until it had consumed everything in its path.

She pulled back from the image, swallowing thickly. She knew what Naruto had meant by "The Burning Sky is a lie," now. His real power, the part of him that was unique from the other Bijuu, had nothing to do with fire at all.

Ino drew in a deep breath and let it out, bringing her focus back to the here and now. She needed healing if she was going to do anything, and that meant Naruto. With a thought, she _pulled _on that thread and vanished.

* * *

-3:15 AM-

-Two Kilometers East of Iwagakure-

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he took in the girl who had just appeared out of nowhere in a yellow flash. He knew what she must have done, but for her to have access to the technique that had so long eluded his grasp... that could not be allowed to stand.

The girl whimpered, one hand reaching out to clutch at the jinchuuriki's shirt. She had been badly burned, and every movement twisted and pulled at her injuries. She let out a sudden gasp, and then his hand was around her throat, lifting her into the air.

"How do you know that technique?" he snarled, focusing his killing intent. Her eyes, surprisingly clear and cogent considering the pain she must be in, stared defiantly back at him. Then, before he could even say another word, the life faded from them abruptly, her body going slack.

He stared at her for a few more seconds, unable to believe that the moment he found a potential source for the Hiraishin she _died_ on him. With a disgusted sneer he tossed the body aside, refocusing on-

* * *

Kuushou stood, eying the dissolving remains of the construct Orochimaru had been using for a moment, then moving towards Ino's body. He felt rage coursing through his body as he saw how injured she had been, and in that moment made his decision.

He knelt, pulling out a sealing scroll and placing her body within it. He pulled out a small capsule, sealed the scroll and the pouches he wore within that, then swallowed it. Unless his entire body was destroyed the capsule and everything in it would survive what was to come.

His head swiveled to the east for a moment, noting the location of the signature that had accompanied Orochimaru and was the likely source of the phantom weapon that was even now stuck inside his chest. Then he looked to the north, where he could see the distant glowing flames created by Akkai's jinchuuriki.

Youki poured from his body, swirling chaotically around his frame, and snaps and cracks filled the air as his form twisted and bent. His arms writhed as bones shifted and muscles grew, and his legs bent unnaturally as new joints took shape. He shed his sandals as his feet outgrew them, his new claws digging deep into the earth.

The transformation continued for nearly a minute, and when it was done what stood in the clearing bore little resemblance to his former shape. He was covered in blood-red fur, his thickly muscled legs bent as he crouched. His hands ended in razor-sharp claws, and his arms were every bit as muscled as his legs.

His head had also changed; it took was covered in fur, his blond hair nowhere in sight. Long pointed ears swept back from his skull, and his face had shifted to form a long snout. His mouth parted for a moment, revealing dozens of sharp, gleaming teeth. Nine tails of youki emerged from the base of his spine, sweeping through the air in agitation. His eyes, fully red except for black, slit-like pupils, seemed to be burning with some inner fire as his gaze turned to the east once again.

One clawed hand brushed across his chest, sliding across the hole that still remained, though the wound had stopped leaking blood. He exhaled, the air leaving his chest with a low rumble, and tensed. He paused for a moment, his head cocked to the side, and breathed out another gust of air in a sharp snort.

"… **would you stop about the fur already?" **he said to the empty clearing.

Then he leapt, his clawed feet leaving deep furrows in the ground as he vanished from the clearing in a swirl of dust and youki.

* * *

**A/N: Regarding Kuushou's "image."**

**What Ino is sensing is what the other Bijuu feel like to each other. The images have grown in detail and scope over time and can change as the Bijuu do. What she's getting now is the most basic sense of the current versions – they are descriptive of the Bijuu's power and even personality to an extent, but they are not meant to be a literal representation of the scope of their powers. **

**Also, the Kuushou timeline hasn't quite caught up with the Gaara/Fuu scene yet.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	50. Snake Eyes, Part III

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-3:20 AM-

-Three Kilometers East of Iwagakure-

Kuushou honed in on the strange chakra signature, his form blurring as he raced over the rocky ground. His claws left gouges in the stone as he ran, and he left a trail of shattered stone behind him as the force of his movement proved to be more than the terrain could handle. When he was close enough, he leapt to the top of a rock outcropping and paused for a moment, his legs coiling and his muscles tensing.

Drawn on the ground in blood was a large circle, and on the inside of the circle was a triangle, also drawn in blood. It wasn't a fuinjutsu circle, but he could sense the ninja's chakra flowing through it all the same. His target was stretched out on the ground within the circle, a spear of some kind sticking out of his chest.

As far as he could tell, the wound matched up with the hole that still remained in his own body, providing some insight into just how this strange technique functioned. The ninja himself was liberally painted, most of his body pitch black except for thick white lines that gave the impression of bones. His face was painted to resemble a skull, though his gray hair remained visible.

And, despite the fact that the ninja's heart must have been destroyed as surely as his own, he was still alive.

"Fuck!" the ninja suddenly shouted, sitting up and pulling the spear out of his chest. Kuushou felt the phantom weapon withdraw from his own chest at the same time, confirming that this ninja was indeed responsible for what had been happening... _somehow_.

"Jashin-sama!" the man called out, his voice piteous. "How have I failed you? Why do you withhold your blessing from me?"

Kuushou blinked as the man continued to cry out to the heavens, then shook his head. Whatever the ninja was talking about was going to be irrelevant in a moment. He crouched lower, his claws digging in for extra purchase, then launched himself forward.

The ninja barely had time to turn before Kuushou rocketed into him, carrying him out of the circle. Even as he made contact he could feel something slamming into his own gut, his ribs snapping despite the fact that his body should have been able to withstand much more than that. The moment the ninja lost contact with the circle, however, the man's signature abruptly returned to the chaotic combination of hundreds of different signatures, and the "paint" covering his body vanished. Kuushou noted that the phantom pressure working against his own form disappeared at the same time.

"The fuck is this bullshit?" the ninja shouted as he rolled to his feet. He reached behind himself and pulled a weapon off of his back, revealing a triple-bladed scythe. "First Jashin-sama doesn't accept my sacrifice, and now fucking animals are interrupting me?"

Then the ninja paused, his eyes straying to the nine tails whipping through the air behind Kuushou.

"Oh fu-"

The tails lanced forward, piercing through the ninja's torso, legs, and arms before they wrapped around him and started slowly pulling.

"Ja... shi..." the man wheezed, before with one final heave Kuushou separated his tails, spreading the ninja across the clearing in a burst of blood and gore.

Kuushou let out a low growl as he stretched out his senses. The ninja's twisted signature was slowly dissipating, but there were two other signatures in the area, one high above and another approaching from the southeast along the ground. Both were exceptionally powerful, but he didn't recognize either of them.

The one above began to withdraw, heading north, while the one on the ground was stopped as it began fighting four other signatures that he didn't recognize.

It didn't matter to him, though; he had business elsewhere.

He turned to the north and left with another burst of speed.

* * *

Hidan groaned to himself after the Kyuubi jinchuuriki had left. It had been a long time since he'd been hurt to this extent; it was going to take _hours _to pull himself back together. Hopefully that Konan bitch or that fucker Orochimaru would show up and hurry things along.

He was still using his jaw to move his head closer to his nearest body part when he heard someone else approaching.

"Hey! Konan! Orochimaru! Whoever the fuck you are! Quit fucking around and put me back together, you asshole!"

He rolled his head over to find that the person who had arrived was not one of the members of his so-called team, but a tall, thin ninja dressed entirely in black. Most of his face was covered by a mask, but he had a forehead protector that marked him as a missing-nin from Taki.

"The fuck are you looking at, asshole?" Hidan shouted.

The ninja didn't say anything, instead walking over to one of his bodyparts and picking it up.

"Hey! The shit are you doin' with my leg, dickwad?"

The ninja didn't say anything as he continued to collect pieces and began sealing them into scrolls.

"I'm fucking talking to your stupid ass, jackoff!"

Finally, the man was standing over his head, staring down at him with expressionless, pale green eyes. His hand reached down and picked up his head by his hair.

"Put me down, asshole! As soon as I get put back together, I am going to-"

"My bounties usually have the courtesy to _shut up _when they are torn apart," the man growled as he sealed Hidan's head inside another scroll. He put the various scrolls away, then pulled out a small list and a brush, marking through one of the names on the scroll.

Then he turned and began making his way south.

* * *

Kuushou allowed his focus to drift inward slightly as his body continued streaking across the terrain.

"Who the fuck was that?" Ino asked. "And what did he do to piss you off that bad?"

He grinned, his fox-like youki form revealing long, sharp teeth, as he turned to answer Ino.

And blinked.

"What?" he heard Ino ask. Heard, but couldn't _see_. Or clearly sense, for that matter. Every time he tried to focus on her signature he could feel his senses sliding past her, only picking up just enough to know that _something _was there. He could feel her presence in the seal as clearly as he had every other time she used a Yamanaka technique on him, but for some reason her exact location eluded him.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Doing? I'm asking a question," she responded, a bit of annoyance filtering into her tone.

Kuushou spread out his youki, letting it drift around the seal and noting where it encountered resistance. He eventually found a space where his youki seemed to flow around nothing, his senses telling him the area was empty even as it became clear _something _was there.

"Hey! What are _you _doing?"

"You really aren't doing anything?"

"No!" Ino snapped. "Why?"

"Because I'm having trouble sensing you, for some reason."

Ino was silent for a moment. "Really?" she asked curiously. Her signature lessened to the point where she almost vanished completely, then returned to its previous state. "Why?"

"Were you thinking of hiding just then?" Kuushou asked, understanding beginning to dawn.

"Well, yeah. You just said you couldn't sense me, of course I was." Even as she said it her signature almost vanished again.

"Try thinking of becoming visible."

Her signature spiked even as she asked, "What's the point of that?"

"Just focus on it," he replied.

"Fine..." she muttered, and her signature grew and stabilized. As it did, her form became visible... partly, at least. She was standing on his back, as she normally did when she was here, her arms crossed over her chest and a look of concentration on her face. Even though he could see some of her now, her form was still partially invisible, the edges between visible and not shimmering and shifting randomly.

Unlike every other time she'd been inside the seal, however, her eyes were a deep, glowing purple, looking exactly like they did when she was calling on her own nascent youki. With that, he realized that this was actually the first time she had used one of the Yamanaka jutsu on him since he had made his changes.

"Well isn't _that _interesting," he muttered, trying to focus on her signature to see if he could glean any further details. It kept slipping away from him, but there was enough to further his understanding of what was happening.

In the meantime, Ino looked down at herself then back up at him, her brow furrowed. "Isn't _what_ interesting?"

"What do you look like, to yourself?"

"Like normal..." she said slowly. "Why?"

Rather than answering directly, he formed an image of what she looked like to him, showing it to her. Her jaw dropped open and her signature nearly vanished as she lost focus.

"Holy shit! That's... that's _badass_!" she shouted, laughing. "Is that really what I look like?"

He watched as her form rapidly shifted, parts fading in and out of view while her eyes seemed to glow brighter and brighter. He shifted the image he was displaying to match, and she finally settled on a state where her body was completely hidden except for her eyes, two glowing points of purple hanging in midair that flickered and coiled as if burning with some inner fire. A shimmering outline of her body slowly faded into view as well, providing some sense of her posture and stance.

"Oh _hell _yes," she muttered, her wide grin clearly audible in her voice. After a few more seconds spent admiring the image, the eyes shifted to him, narrowing and sharpening as they focused. An outline of her body flickered in and out of view, taking on a purple tinge to match her eyes.

He could feel her signature shifting already – there was the sense of an invisble predator ghosting through empty terrain, watching his every movement and seeing straight through every ruse and attempt to evade them.

"So what's going on?" she asked. "Does this have something to do with my youki?"

"It does indeed," he answered, pleased that she already had a decent grasp of the situation. "I think your power is starting to show itself."

The eyes flared, and her form flickered into full view for a moment to reveal the pleased grin on her face before it faded again. "Speaking of powers," she said, "I felt something from Akkai earlier – and from you, for that matter."

Kuushou nodded, smiling widely. "What you are sensing is what Bijuu feel like to each other. What did you sense?"

"Akkai was like a volcano – a really, really _angry _volcano. And you... I'm still not sure what that was."

"Akkai always did have something of a temper," Kuushou said, snorting at the understatement. "It sounds like you got a pretty good read on him. What about me?"

"I thought it was the Void, at first," she admitted.

"Close," Kuushou said, nodding for her to continue.

"It wasn't empty like the Void, though. There was something there that I couldn't see, then I was getting drawn towards something, then something was squeezing me."

"Anything else?"

"At the end... like with Akkai, where I got the impression that the lava was going to cover everything, I got the distinct impression that whatever it was would consume everything."

"It's possible, certainly, though highly unlikely," he noted, smirking.

"I figured. It's not like a volcano is going to spew out enough lava to cover the entire world, either. What I don't get, though, is why Akkai's image felt so washed out."

"... washed out?" Kuushou asked slowly, remembering the traces he had felt back in Taki.

"Yeah. I could sense everything pretty clearly, but at the same time it was like it half wasn't there."

Even as she spoke, his attention began to return to the outside world, where his body was closing in on the jinchuuriki. He could feel Akkai's power being slung about, feel the magma shifting under the earth as it responded to his call. He could sense the same "washed out" impression that Ino had mentioned.

Unlike her, he knew what was missing.

Inside the seal, his form lost cohesion as his youki surged. It slammed against the walls of the seal, cracks spreading like spiderwebs along the formerly pristine white walls as the seal strained against him. Ino yelped as she was dropped to the floor, the sound lost in the low rumble that was rapidly building to a crescendo.

Youki poured from his body, surrounding him in a cocoon of energy. His tails whipped back and forth in a frenzy, stretching and growing along with his rage. After a moment, his entire body tensed and he _roared_, his youki unconsciously fueling the sound as it spread like a shockwave across the battlefield.

All movement ceased for a moment, ninja from every side pausing as they felt _something _washing over them. The ninja from Konoha who had been present in the village twelve years ago shivered, recognizing the feeling for what it was and wondering just what had happened.

The next moment he flung himself forward, streaking through the air like a fiery comet.

The jinchuuriki had manifested a mockery of Akkai's form and was slinging it's thick, heavily muscled arms about, streams of lava bursting out of the ground at every movement. The tails were whipping through the air behind him, but seemed to be moving without any sort of purpose. There were ninja scrambling desperately before it, evading its attacks and trying to launch their own counters even as they fell back.

With one last bound he leapt into the air behind the jinchuuriki and slammed into the gigantic form. The ape-like construct staggered sideways and began roaring in pain as his claws and tails began ripping through the chakra that made up its body.

Chakra, not youki. It was umistakeably Akkai's power, but there was nothing of Akkai himself left within it. Akatsuki had finally succeeded in creating their perfect weapon, somehow crafting a seal that stripped the power from a Bijuu without leaving anything of the Bijuu itself behind. He could feel Akkai buried within the seal, his presence greatly diminished after all of the power that had been ripped away from him over the years.

The jinchuuriki began clawing at him, the hands of the ape-like form trying to pull him off or smash him to the ground, but he was already beneach the "skin" and was rapidly digging deeper and deeper into the construct, aiming for where he could feel the jinchuuriki hiding deep within the heart of it.

The jinchuuriki began panicking, lashing out wildly and causing rifts to form in the earth around him that spewed lava in every direction.

Still Kuushou struck deeper, his youki ripping and tearing as he closed in.

Finally, in desperation, the jinchuuriki released the construct completely, leaving them both to fall through the air as the energy keeping them suspended dispersed. The boy began gathering chakra to lash out directly, but found himself wrapped up in tails of chakra and drawn towards his attacker.

Kuushou paid no mind to the ninja's screams as his youki burned through his flesh like acid. He swiftly found the seal that was tattooed on the ninja's stomach and physically slammed his claws into it digging into it and surrounding it with his youki. He found the edges of the seal that kept his brother bound and began pouring all the power he could into shattering it.

It only lasted a few moments before it buckled under the pressure.

With the seal broken, all of the power stored within was released in a massive shockwave that completed the destruction of the jinchuuriki and threw Kuushou backwards to plow into the earth nearly a kilometer away.

* * *

-3:30 AM-

-Ten Kilometers South of Iwagakure-

"What _is _that?" Fuu asked.

"Not our problem," Kisame grunted after a moment, turning to the red-haired teenager who was their target. "Are you going to come quietly, or do I need to kick you around some more?" he asked with a menacing leer.

Gaara picked himself up off the ground, his movements slowly and unsteady. His face was twisted in anger as he stared at the three Akatsuki members who had surrounded him.

Kisame hefted his sword, holding it out in front of him meaningfully. "Well?"

"You should listen to Kisame-danna, un," Deidara added with a grin. "He's got this thing about cutting off people's legs, un."

"**I**," Gaara said slowly in a deep, rumbling voice that sent shivers down Fuu's spine, "**am going to kill you.**"

Then he collapsed into a pile of dirt and sand.

All of them stared at the dirt for a moment, not quite comprehending what they were seeing. Then Kisame sprang forward, his sword whipping through the air over the remains of the clone.

"_Fuck!_" he shouted angrily. "How the fuck did that bastard get away?"

Deidara took off running in another direction, his own curses filling the air a moment later. "The bitch is gone too!" he called out.

Kisame spent a few more seconds seething before he pulled himself together. "We're done here," he ground out. He slammed his sword back into its holster on his back and began stalking away from the devastation left by the battle.

"Let's go."

* * *

Kankuro swallowed thickly as he crouched next to Temari. Despite his roiling emotions, his hands were rock steady as they placed bandages over Temari's wounds. Gaara was standing nearby, his face completely blank and his eyes focused ahead.

Only the slight grinding sound of the rock sliding by and the barely felt vibration under his knees let him know that they were moving at all. According to Gaara, they were going to get help.

He hoped so, he really did. Temari was still alive, still _breathing_, but... she looked so fragile, lying there. She'd always seemed like a rock before, the anchor that somehow kept their family from drifting apart. It wasn't right to see her laid out on the ground so still, only the slight rise and fall of her chest showing that she still had life in her at all. Both of her arms were clearly broken, and her entire right side was bruising badly. He hadn't seen her legs move at all.

Her breathing had also picked up an odd wheeze that scared him more than he thought possible. He wasn't a med-nin, but he knew that couldn't be good.

"Hurry," he said hoarsely, looking up at Gaara.

Gaara didn't say anything, but his face tightened and the vibrations from underneath them grew in intensity.

* * *

-3:30 AM-

-Fifteen Kilometers Northeast of Iwagakure-

Kuushou pulled himself out of the ground, letting out a low growl as he shook off the dirt and looked to where the jinchuuriki had been. A swirling mass of dark red energy hung suspended in midair, pulsing slowly as it twisted on itself. Kuushou could feel his brother clearly now, and a furious snarl tore its way out of his throat. His brother was still reeling from the sustained drain, weakened and disoriented as he tried to get his bearings.

Kuushou moved closer even as Akkai began to drift towards him, his brother turning towards the familiar signature.

Halfway there he stopped. There was someone closing in rapidly from the northeast, flying through the air far faster than any bird could hope to accomplish. It seemed to be heading for Akkai, and Kuushou moved to cut off the approaching ninja even as his brother drifted closer to the ground, the mass of youki slowly taking his usual shape of a four-tailed gorilla.

There was a surge of chakra and a massive weight slammed onto his back, pinning him to the ground and trying to crush his body. He pushed himself to his feet, his body groaning in protest under the strain, only for the pressure to double in intensity.

Even as that happened, Akkai's youki was being drawn through the air against his will, swirling towards the ninja and then into a strange cube at the ninja's side.

Kuushou let out another roar and flared his youki, dispelling some of the pressure and gaining his feet once again. He was still struggling to move, however, and the ninja had managed to completely seal away Akkai before he had managed ten steps.

He was not going to allow this to happen. Not now, not after he'd finally come so close to truly freeing one of his brethren. Especially not when Akatsuki had found a way to greatly weaken them – it would take years for Akkai to recover the power that had been stolen from him already, and no doubt this ninja was planning to place Akkai within another container at the first opportunity.

"Bansho Ten'in," a voice called out, ringing through the air.

Kuushou felt the chakra surrounding him more clearly now, and found himself rising into the air towards the ninja. His eyes narrowed as he studied the man who was doing this to him.

He was wearing a black cloak adorned with stylized red clouds, the signature of Akatsuki. He had dark red hair and lightly tanned skin, but it was the eyes that jumped out at him. Even from this distance he could make out their purple color and ringed pupils. This was clearly a _doujutsu_, though not one he had ever heard of.

He came to a stop thirty meters away from the ninja, well outside of his known range. The implications of that were not lost on him.

"Naruto Yamanaka," the man called out, "has your mind survived this... transformation of yours?"

Kuushou remained silent. His eyes shifted to the large metal cube floating at the man's side. He could make out numerous seals covering its surface, no doubt an array meant to contain a Bijuu.

"No matter," the man said after a moment. "Even if you have survived, your life was forfeit the moment you killed Jun."

Youki began flowing out of Kuushou's body, filtering forward and gathering into a ball in front of him.

"I am well aware of the limitations your seal imposes upon you," the man said calmly. "Seeking to frighten me is useless."

The ball seemed to shrink in on itself, dropping to half of its original size before growing once again as more youki flowed into it.

They began moving through the air, flying to the east at a quick pace.

The ball compressed once more, the color darkening.

"Even if this is some sort of suicide technique, you will not be able to harm me. Accept your death gracefully."

The ball compressed again, and Kuushou opened his mouth wide, stretching forward to enclose the ball within his jaws. Out of sight, the ball compressed even further, his youki pressing in on it from all sides.

The man increased the distance between them to fifty meters, though his expression did not waver.

With a sharp twist, Kuushou detonated the hyper-compressed ball of youki, using the rest of his energy to channel the explosion in the direction he desired. He usually preferred not to use the Imari; it was far and away the most expensive use of their youki they had yet found, and it lacked any semblance of control or finesse. However, when it came to destroying anything and everything in his path, there was nothing better.

The beam of annihilation lanced forward, the unique nature of the attack allowing it to maintain cohesion far beyond the limits imposed by his seal, and washed over the ninja... or where the ninja had been, Kuushou noted in annoyance. Even as the technique that kept him suspended in the air failed, he could sense the ninja dropping towards the ground. In the last moments before Kuushou unleashed the Imari, the ninja had abruptly released all of his techniques and flung himself towards the ground.

He was annoyed that he had missed the ninja, but he was _furious _that he had also missed his true target: the cube that contained Akkai.

The ninja landed on the ground lightly, his hands rising with one palm pointing towards the metal cube and the other towards himself.

Then Kuushou landed as well, and his claws dug into the ground as he flung himself towards the ninja.

"Shinra Tensei," the man barked. Kuushou could feel the wave of force sweeping towards him, and his tails lanced forward even as his body was flung backwards. The ninja dodged, narrowly avoiding the streams of youki that threatened to impale him.

Kuushou slammed against a rock outcropping, but shook off the blow with ease as he charged forward once again, his tails spreading to attack the ninja from multiple directions at once.

"Fuujutsu Kyuuin," the man chanted as the tails closed in on him.

Kuushou's tails stabbed into his body... and were absorbed. He could feel the youki being stripped away from him, circulating inside the ninja's body and slowly converting into chakra. Even the youki around his body was being pulled him, the technique the ninja was using somehow preventing the damage that would normally occur.

"Your struggles are meaningless," the man said calmly as he stepped forward and made a sweeping motion with his free hand. This gathered the various tails into a single stream that fed into that arm, actually increasing the rate that he was pulling youki into his body. "Even the youki of a Bijuu cannot harm me. Surrendering your body to the beast within you has made you weaker, not stronger."

Kuushou paused, his eyes narrowed. Then he spoke for the first time since the man had shown up, his voice mocking.

"**You **_**really **_**shouldn't have done that.**"

He leapt backwards, covering dozens of meters in a matter of moments, and the seal kicked in. The youki still within the ninja's body was torn free, spraying blood across the clearing. The arm he had been using as the focal point for the technique was ripped apart, but there were still trace amounts of youki in other areas of his body that did their own damage.

The ninja's shocked scream of pain and anger filled the air before he released a massive surge of power. Kuushou's eyes widened as a shockwave that made the ninja's previous attacks seem like the playful taps of a child slammed into him, sending him rocketing backwards. His bones, strengthened though they were, were reduced to powder as his organs were pulped. He plowed through several rock outcroppings, the protruding rocks ripping into his hide and spilling his blood across the rocky plains.

He eventually rolled to a stop nearly a kilometer away, his body unrecognizable as anything other than a pile of flesh and blood. He lay there for several seconds, stunned by the power of the assault, before he slowly began drawing himself together, blood flowing back into his body and bones reforming with cracks and snaps.

He looked back to where the ninja had been, but could see nothing but a giant column of dust and smoke. He could feel one of the signatures he had sensed before, the one that had been flying, closing in rapidly towards the ninja's position.

A deep growl left his throat; this ninja, whoever he was, was far too dangerous to let live. His powers were vastly different from that of any other ninja he'd seen, and the ability to absorb youki alone marked him for death.

The flying ninja was near his attacker now, and they were slowly rising into the air once more, heading to the northeast. The cube that contained Akkai was moving with them.

His claws scrabbled for purchase as he pursued the fleeing ninja. He didn't have time to prepare another Menacing Ball, so he would have to get physically close enough to bring his other techniques to bear.

He finally caught sight of them. His attacker was being carried by a woman in an Akatsuki cloak with large white wings. The wings weren't natural, from what he could tell, and there was a great deal of chakra running through whatever substance the wings were made of. That same substance was wrapped around the cube and the ninja, supporting both of them with ease.

The ninja Kuushou had been fighting was bleeding profusely and one arm was hanging at his side limply, testament to the damge his youki had caused. He was still awake, however, and Kuushou could see his head turning to follow his approach.

Rocks tore themselves free of the ground and were flung into the sky as he closed in, but the woman with the wings dodged them easily, even gracefully, and the few that might have made it through were batted aside by white strands of something.

The woman was gaining altitude rapidly, but she was still low enough to the ground that a powerful leap could bring him within range. He bounded to the top of the tallest outcropping nearby and launched himself forward, his youki flaring as he boosted his muscles and manipulated the rock to essentially fling him into the sky towards the retreating pair.

Eighty meters.

His eyes gleamed and his jaw dropped open to reveal his sharp fangs.

Sixty meters.

The woman began flapping her wings even harder, her chakra flaring wildly as she reinforced them. She attempted to bank as well, but she wasn't going to be fast enough.

Fifty meters.

The man raised his good arm, the movement lacking his previous grace.

Forty meters.

Kuushou's tails were already lancing forward, crossing the remaining distance in the blink of an eye. The woman had no possible way to evade him no-

"Shinra Tensei," the man coughed, his chakra flaring wildly again.

Kuushou let out another roar of frustration as he was flung away once again, his tails whipping through the air mere inches shy of impaling both of the infuriating ninja. The power behind this attack wasn't nearly as damaging as the last one, but it was more than enough to thwart his efforts, sending him sailing through the air far away from them. He controlled his descent this time, landing on his feet and already preparing to pursue them once again. They may be out of his reach now, but they would have to come back to the ground eventually...

Another set of signatures intruded on his senses, moving underground and heading in his direction quickly – Ryuudo, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. Temari's signature was disturbed, pulsing oddly and very faint, however; it didn't take much to understand what that likely meant.

He stared after the retreating Akatsuki members, his muscles tensing, before he finally let out another low growl and turned to intercept the Suna team.

* * *

-4:00 AM-

-Ten Kilometers Northeast of Iwagakure-

Kankuro drew in a deep breath as Gaara finally returned them to the surface. It hadn't been difficult to breathe while in his undergound bubble, exactly, but it had been a little stuffy all the same. His attention still remained focused on Temari however, whose breathing was definitely starting to grow labored. Her skin was also very pale, despite the deep tan she had acquired over the last few months.

He looked around, looking for the medical tent or at least the med-nin Gaara had brought them to. He didn't see anything, though, just more of the rocky terrain – although this piece did seem a little more broken and blasted than the rest.

"Gaara, where are we? Why did you bring us here?" he asked, his voice rising. "We need to get help for Temari! She's-"

"Help is here," Gaara said calmly, his gaze focused into the distance. His eyes suddenly widened and he took a half a step back before he could stop himself. His arms nearly left their position across his chest before he slowly relaxed and resumed his previous posture.

Kankuro turned to look at what he was reacting to just in time for the large _thing _to land less than a meter away with an audible thump, its large, razor sharp claws digging through solid rock as it brought itself to a halt. It looked like someone had taken a fox, made it the size of a tiger and dyed its fur blood red. He felt his entire body tensing as his instincts screamed at him to run_run__**run**_, but he found himself unable to move as its presence washed over him.

It was the heaviest, most dangerous sensation he had ever encountered in his life, feeling simultaneously like the largest chakra technique he had ever witnessed being unleashed all around him and the focused killing intent of a hundred ninja boring into his soul.

Worst of all, the thing wasn't even _looking_ at him. All of its attention was focused on Temari, and even as he watched two of its _nine tails _whipped forward and into her body. Her back arched upwards and her eyes flew open as her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

He found himself moving before his mind even finished processing the fact that he was about to die horribly. Two kunai flew through the air towards the things head, followed by his puppet.

The kunai were batted aside with the flick of a third tail and his puppet was tossed aside just as easily, the chakra strings he had connected to it snapped completely by a fourth. A fifth lanced towards him, and he felt himself tumbling through the air to land with several meters away, the air pushed out of his lungs.

"**Sit,**" came the rumbling sound from the fox-like creature, though its mouth didn't seem to move.

His mind finally started catching up with what was going on, and he saw Gaara standing next to the thing, watching sharply as Temari fell back on the ground, her eyes still wide open and staring up at the head of the creature looming over her. Her jaw continued to work, but no sound emerged.

The tableau remained the same for nearly a minute before the tails abruptly withdrew from Temari and the creature backed off a few steps before settling onto its haunches, the tails fanning out behind it and idly curling through the air.

Temari's eyes remained locked on the animal as she slowly sat up, her hands reaching up to feel her face and head. She swallowed thickly and her eyes darted at Gaara for a moment before she spoke.

"Na... Naruto?" she asked, her voice quavering.

The beast turned to look at Gaara for a moment, then back to Temari. "**How much has Gaara told you?**"

Temari flinched at the sound of the beast's voice, but managed to respond. "That he could talk to the tailed b- the Bijuu sealed inside of him, and that they weren't the mindless beasts everyone said. And that you could do the same."

The creature let out a sharp snort and shook its head. "**If I wished to talk to myself, I suppose I could.**"

Kankuro felt his heart pounding. "Y-you mean that Naruto is..."

"**Naruto never was, really. Unlike Gaara, that child did not survive the sealing. I have been forced to make do ever since that day.**"

Kankuro and Temari both turned to look at Gaara, who just gave a small shrug and a nod. "I knew," he said quietly.

They both nodded dumbly as they looked between their brother and the Kyuubi made flesh.

Temari sucked in a deep breath, her eyes widening. "What about Ino?" she asked suddenly. "Does she-"

She cut off as the Kyuubi began laughing to itself, the sound sending a shudder down their spines.

"**Ino knows,**" it said, "**more than anyone.**" Its head turned back to Gaara. "**How did this happen, anyway? I would have thought you would never have allowed things to come to this point.**"

"It was Akatsuki," Gaara said, his face darkening. "Three of them, though I only fought one directly."

"There was a blonde man riding a bird of some kind," Temari volunteered. "He could create smaller birds and spiders that would explode."

"**Deidara, missing-nin from Iwa,**" the Kyuubi said, nodding. "**I had not known he had joined Akatsuki, however.**"

"I was winning against him," Temari continued, a scowl growing on her face. "I would have killed him myself if I hadn't been attacked from behind. I didn't get a good look at who it was, but I think it was a female, and I _definitely _saw the six green wings she was using to fly. She-"

Temari was interrupted again as the Kyuubi's presence flared and a menacing growl escaped its throat.

"**Fuu,**" it snarled, its lips bared to reveal a mouth full of sharp fangs, "**jinchuuriki of Seijyou. To think that I was going to allow her to live.**"

Temari nodded uncertainly. "She hit me from behind, throwing me off of my fan and leaving me to fall. I barely managed to slow down enough to survive." She looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Thank you for healing me," she said finally. "How... how bad was it?"

"**Several of your ribs had shattered and punctured your left lung,**"the Kyuubi stated, its tone even. "**Even assuming you had managed to surive that, your spine was broken in three places – without prompt and extensive surgery you likely would have remained paralyzed.**"

"Oh," Temari said faintly, her face pale. She fell silent after that, her eyes slightly wild as she processed just how close she had come to dying.

"The other was a tall, blue man, a missing-nin from Kiri," Gaara said after a moment. Kankuro didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he was grateful for the change in topic.

"**That would be Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the few members of Akatsuki we have managed to confirm.**"

Kankuro startled slightly at that, though he didn't say anything. He didn't know who the Kyuubi was referring to with that, but he got the distinct impression that it _wasn't _Konoha, or Gaara for that matter.

"He is strong," Gaara said flatly. "His sword has the ability to absorb both chakra _and_ youki, and he can use that to fuel his own techniques. He was also able to cleave through Ryuudo's form with that same blade."

The Kyuubi's eyes narrowed, though it didn't growl again. "_Another_ one," it said. It didn't explain what it meant, however.

"Next time," Gaara said, a sadistic grin spreading across his face, "I will _crush_ him."

Further discussion was halted when the ground began rumbling under their feet. The Kyuubi looked to Gaara, its head cocked to the side, but Gaara's gaze was focused to the southwest.

"That is not us," the red-head said after a moment. "It is happening far away... in Iwa."

* * *

-3:50 AM-

-Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Tower-

"I wondered how long it would take you to get here, Sarutobi," the Tsuchikage said calmly. He was standing on the roof of the tallest building in Iwagakure, his back slightly hunched as he gazed out over his village.

"Oonoki," the former Hokage growled softly as he landed on the roof. "Your pride has brought us to war for the last time." He was covered head to toe in black and wore an old-fashioned helm on his head. He had a large staff clutched in his hands, both ends of which were already stained with blood.

Oonoki just chuckled, turning to face his fellow Kage on the roof of the tower they were standing on. "My_ pride_, Sarutobi? I have done what I must to protect my village and its people, as I always have." The old man straightened, a tightly controlled grimace crossing his face for a moment as he drew himself up to his full height. "Let us instead speak of _your _pride, which led your village to delude itself into thinking that it could not possibly be decieved or misled – assuming this entire situation wasn't Konoha's plan to begin with."

"Even now you persist?" Sarutobi asked, his eyes narrowed. "We gave you every chance to prove your innoc-"

"You gave us every chance to destroy ourselves!" Oonoki snarled, one hand slashing through the air angrily. "Allow the other villages to scout every nook and cranny of our territory? Allow a Hyuuga inside our very village, to ferret out our greatest secrets? Do you take me for a fool, Sarutobi?"

"Whatever secrets you might have lost would be better than this!" Sarutobi countered, gesturing around to the village. The sounds of fighting were growing closer, the screams of dying ninja and the echoes of hundreds of ninjutsu underscoring their conversation. "Your refusal to compromise has cost the lives of more ninja than losing your damn secrets ever could!"

"That is why Konoha will never achieve true greatness, Sarutobi. You lose a few leaves and you fear the tree will wither and die – pathetic. That is why the Will of Stone will triumph in the end. Leaves fall to the ground and rot, useless and meaningless, and are gone in the blink of an eye; the stone _endures_."

Oonoki feet left the ground as he slowly rose into the air. His arms were held at his sides, his hands clenched into fists. Their eyes met, and neither moved for several long seconds.

"You can still surrender," Sarutobi said quietly, even as he raised his staff before him and crouched low.

"The stone never yields, Hiruzen."

The silence held for several seconds, then Oonoki raised his hands before him, holding them roughly a foot part as his face narrowed in concentration.

Sarutobi exploded into motion, his staff spinning and dancing from one hand to another as he launched several kunai towards the floating Oonoki.

The Tsuchikage dodged to the side, his movements flowing and graceful as he shifted through the air. His eyes widened slightly when the kunai suddenly multiplied in midair, and he was forced to drop his hands and focus on evading the weapons as quickly as he could. He ended up using the tower itself as a shield, dropping below the roofline as more projectiles were launched in his direction and were rapidly duplicated.

"You're too slow, Oonoki!" Sarutobi called out mockingly. He launched himself off the side of the tower towards Oonoki, his staff blurring as it jabbed and swiped. Oonoki twisted in midair, narrowly avoiding the strikes as he used his maneuverabilty to his advantage.

He grinned and raised his hands again, taking the time while Sarutobi was still in the air between the tower and the closest building to prepare his attack. His eyes widened as a massive surge of chakra appeared behind him.

He attempted to flee upwards even as he turned and saw some sort of combination wind-fire technique blasting out of the side of his tower and threatening to engulf him. Another wind technique cut him off and forced him downwards, the blades of air leaving shallow cuts along his arm and back. That wind technique hit the brewing firestorm as well, feeding the flames until it seemed the sky itself was burning.

Deciding that his current approach was not going to work, he abruptly changed directions and slammed into the side of the tower, smashing through the stone walls even as he avoided another of Sarutobi's attacks.

The former Hokage's eyes narrowed as he saw the Tsuchikage vanish into the tower. He remained in motion, darting from building to building and sending blades of wind and plumes of fire into the tower even as he watched for the next attack. It came just as he leapt the narrow gap between buildings – the side of the tower seemed to rip itself free and lanced through the air towards him. He met the attack with his staff, using the weapon to absorb the blow and using the momentum to change his course in midair.

His staff seemed to sink into the rock slightly, and his eyes narrowed as the projectile was revealed to be a golem. One rocky hand already wrapped around the other end of his staff, and the other was swinging towards him to deliver a powerful blow even as the golem itself slammed into the roof of the building.

He spun himself around the staff, his agile body slipping between the golem's arms and avoiding the attack completely. One hand slapped the construct near where it was holding the end of his staff, and the golem began to collapse, its body shedding layers and revealing it to be an amalgamation of numerous smaller slabs of stone likely drawn from the tower itself.

He looked up to see Oonoki hovering nearby, both hands raised in front of him about a foot apart. His hands were cradling a brightly glowing white ball that was surrounded by a thin, transluscent cube.

At the same time Oonoki pushed his hands outward as if shoving something forward, Sarutobi launched his staff through the air like a spear. The cube rapidly expanded as it rushed towards Sarutobi, and the staff passed through the transluscent walls without any effect. A moment later, the cube had completely surrounded Sarutobi, leaving him staring at the white ball.

Oonoki shifted slightly to the side to avoid the spear, the last ditch attack passing him by harmlessly. He allowed himself a grim smile as he activated the technique and the white ball suddenly exploded, filling the cube and completely obliterating everything inside of it.

He felt the hammer blow at the base of his spine before he even registered the slight pop from behind him or saw the thin stream of smoke wafting through the air. His eyes widened in shock and his mouth opened in a silent scream of pain as the blow launched him forward to slam into a nearby roof. He rolled to a stop on his back, and he instinctively sought out his attacker. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Sarutobi clinging to the side of the building.

The Tsuchikage raised his hands in front of him, shoving aside the agony and the growing numbness to focus on his Dust Release once more. The former Hokage was at his side a moment later, batting his arms aside and breaking the technique once again.

Oonoki's face twisted into a ghastly grin. "God of Shinobi... indeed," he wheezed. "To lose... to the _kawarimi... _of all things..."

"Rest in peace, Oonoki," Sarutobi said quietly as he pulled out a kunai. "I never wanted things to end this way."

"Sarutobi," Oonoki said lowly, his grin widening. "Wither... and _die_."

He maintained his grin even as the kunai flashed through the air and ended his life.

Sarutobi remained wary, his eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings and watched for any signs of traps or ambushes. There was no build up of chakra to reveal some sort of dead-man's switch technique, nor did he sense any ninja in the immediate vicinity.

He sealed Oonoki's body away, then knelt and rapidly flashed through hand-signs as he performed the summoning technique. With a puff of smoke, Enma appeared before him once again.

"That is a most unpleasant way to die, Hiruzen," Enma said, his fur-covered face twisted into a sour expression.

"My apologies, old friend, but you weathered it much better than I would have."

"Indeed," Enma agreed, his lips quirking. With a nod, he transformed into a staff once again, and Sarutobi picked it up and prepared to rejoin the battle.

He paused, his eyes narrowing as he sensed a rapidly growing concentration of chakra from all around him. He couldn't identify a single source – in fact, it felt like the entire village was being flooded. The concentration peaked after a few seconds, then seemed to drain out and away without any visible effect.

He wasn't foolish enough to believe that nothing had happened or would happen, though, and he quickly doubled his pace as he moved to meet up with the nearest group of Konoha ninja.

Then the mountains that loomed over Iwagakure exploded.

* * *

**A/N: Don't mean to leave you with _yet another_ cliffhanger, but this felt like a good place to stop. At least I resolved some of the other cliffhangers, right?  
**

**Also, I like to think of Iwa's last gasp there as "Fuck You no Jutsu."  
**

**Next chapter will mark the end of the Iwa invasion and the beginning of the endgame of this fic. The next chapter (or two) will be the end of Part III, and Part IV will be the finale. As far as length goes, there's somewhere between 60-80k words left (give or take about roughly ~30k... ish). I'm somewhat tempted to break it up as two stories so I could justify shifting the overall format a bit (fewer perspectives, etc.), but at the same time I don't want to change "style" in midstream as it were.  
**

**I'm also finding it a little bit harder to write as I get closer to the end. Partly because it's winding down, and partly because my natural inclination is to aim for the "best" ending - but if I do that too much it actually hurts the story. Part of the delay has been me wrestling with that and trying to go with what's reasonable and compelling as opposed to what's "nice." At the same time, I think pulling out random "Diabolus Ex Machina"-style BS hurts the story just as much. If something does go wrong, it's going to be because one side did something right or the other side did something wrong.  
**

**Or because a third party hijacks the situation for their own benefit...  
**

**Edit: to clarify lest people get the wrong idea, I don't mean this is going to turn into a tragedy or something (anymore than it already is for certain people).  
**

**As for my other stories, I'm trying to stick to my schedule of TEC - Ramen Days - TEC - STC - repeat. I've got about half of the next chapter for Ramen Days written, but I'm also spending some time to flesh out the manual and get it into a readable format. I have a link in my profile to the new location (Google Docs) if anyone wants to take a look.**

**Also, reviews. I haven't been very good about replying lately, so I've got some 200+ sitting in my inbox right now. Not all of them are questions, obviously, but I'll try to respond to any that are non-spoiler related. Hopefully I'll get caught up over the next few days.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	51. Snake Eyes, Part IV

-April 21st, 348 NE-

-4:10 AM-

-Iwagakure-

She sucked in a deep breath as consciousness returned, then immediately began coughing and hacking as dust filled her lungs. She tried to move, but found that her leg was pinned, something laying awkwardly across her limb. The weight was heavy; not quite crushing, but she could feel the odd tingle of not-quite numbness spreading through her leg as the circulation was restricted.

She opened her eyes, immediately shutting one again as a warm fluid filled it, and looked around. Or tried to, anyway. It was pitch black, not even the dim moonlight visible from her current position.

She tested her arms, noting the dull aches of scrapes and bruises but nothing more than that. Her legs were the same, though one was still pinned by something. A careful inspection with her hands revealed it to be stone, one side polished to a fine smoothness while the other side and the edges were rough and coarse.

A sudden flare of chakra from nearby startled her. Someone was using ninjutsu – a powerful one at that – and they were close. A sudden grinding sound diverted her attention, and small rocks began pelting her form.

Her hands were forming seals before she'd consciously made her decision. Attempting to use the Mole Imitation technique to travel through loose rock was tricky, moving rock even more so. The risk of losing pieces of yourself against the certainty of getting crushed into a fine paste was no contest, however.

She popped out of the ground roughly ten feet away, falling to her knees and gasping for breath. She did her best to ignore the small patches of skin she'd left behind and the blood that was welling from her new wounds. Behind her, the rubble of what had been a five-story building groaned and settled, kicking up another small cloud of dust.

A quick glance around was all she needed to confirm that the situation was even worse than she had initially thought. The building she had been clearing out was completely collapsed, as were the majority of its neighbors. She couldn't see a single building standing more than two stories high anywhere in sight, and massive clouds of dust obscured her vision, preventing her from seeing more than a block or two away. A distant rumble filled the air in the distance, sharp cracks and booms punctuating the sound.

Then she was rolling to the side, narrowly evading a small hail of kunai and almost breaking her own foot as she lashed out and kicked what felt like solid rock. She huffed in annoyance when she saw the Iwa-nin shrug off the blow like it was nothing, the thick layer of stone he was using as armor completely absorbing the blow.

"Time to die, leaf bitch," the man snarled as he charged forward, managing to move at a decent speed despite the weight he must be under.

A small pellet struck the rock covering his face, bursting open and releasing a fine yellow mist. He missed his next step, his hands rising towards his throat as he fell to the ground with a soft gurgle.

Anko didn't even spare the dead man a glance as she darted into the concealment of a nearby building, crouching beside a relatively undamaged wall. She twitched when she felt another chakra flare from nearby; whoever that was didn't care about who they alerted at... all...

"Ah, fuck," she groaned, leaving her concealment and heading towards the source of the chakra. She could only think of a few reasons why someone would be trying to draw attention, and chief among them was an Iwa-nin trying to tag a high-priority target.

Sure enough, she found the Sandaime Hokage fending off several Iwa-nin, the old man darting about with a speed that she'd be hard-pressed to match on her best days. He'd clearly already taken out several of his attackers, but he hadn't done so unscathed. She could tell he was favoring his right leg, and his left arm was hanging uselessly at his side. His good arm was alternately diverting attacks and sending jutsu ripping through the air; _that _she knew she couldn't match, no matter how good a day she was having.

Despite the Hokage's prowess, however, he was slowly losing. Two more Iwa-nin joined the fray for every one he killed, and more were attacking from a distance, using the nearby rubble as a ready source of fuel for their earth-based ninjutsu. They didn't seem to care about their own losses, either, as they stepped around the bodies of their fallen allies without so much as a glance, their faces set in grim, determined expressions. She'd bet anything that they all considered themselves to be dead already, and were simply trying to take the Sandaime down with them.

At the current rate, she was worried they might actually succeed.

She began circling around the battle, hefting a kunai in each hand as she watched for her chance to assist. She ruled out attempting to join the whirling melee – the Hokage was relying on mobility and speed, and she would only get in his way if she did that. Instead she would start whittling down their numbers from the outside, preventing any more from joining the fight as best she could.

She started with the one standing on top of the pile of rubble, a kunai piercing his neck as he focused on the jutsu he had been about to use. He toppled forward with a small thud, but she was already moving away, another kunai at the ready.

A flare of fire from the Hokage served to conceal her next strike, but her third was spotted and three of the Iwa-nin peeled away to confront her even as two more emerged from somewhere to join the attack. Suddenly she was dodging and weaving herself, and she had no illusions that she would fare any better than the Hokage.

Abruptly, every Iwa-nin froze in place, their bodies straining and their eyes wild. She didn't question her good fortune, instead darting out of the circle of ninja surrounding her, slicing open arteries and veins as she did so.

It wasn't until she saw the man strolling down the road, his shoulders slouching forward slightly and his hands stuffed in his pockets, that she understood what had happened. He had two other ninja with him, one large man wearing thick red armor, another with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Pick one and start diving," Shikaku told his companions, who immediately peeled off and moved towards one of the Iwa-nin. Shikaku himself walked towards the Sandaime.

"It's good to see you alive, Hiruzen," Shikaku said, his eyes sharp as he studied his predecessor's form.

"Not as good as it is to see you," Sarutobi panted, struggling to recover his breath. Anko could make out the blood dripping from his left arm, now, and he was holding his ribs awkwardly while most of his weight resting on his left leg. "The Tsuchikage is dead, but it seems they were not ready to just surrender."

Shikaku just nodded. "The situation is mostly under control at this point," he said. "Your mission is successful, and you are hereby directed to report to the nearest medical station for treatment. Mitarashi!" he snapped suddenly, startling Anko. "Escort the Sandaime to Station Alpha."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she replied quickly.

The Sandaime just chuckled, though his breath hitched slightly at the movement. "As you order, Hokage-sama."

Shikaku watched as Anko and Sarutobi left, moving somewhat slowly so as not to aggravate the older ninja's injuries any further. He then turned to Inoichi as his friend sat up, grimacing as he rubbed his head. "Anything?"

"Nothing we didn't already know. Ordered to stay behind, prepared for the explosion, trying to kill or injure as many of us as possible," he rattled off.

"Are any of these worth taking in?"

Inoichi scanned the ninja around them quickly, then nodded. "Those three. He's former ANBU, that one is a Chuunin Commander, and that one is a senior jounin. The rest we can do without."

Shikaku nodded, and the shadows connecting him to the other Iwa-nin thickened. They didn't even get a chance to scream.

* * *

-4:10 AM-

-Northeast of Iwagakure-

_"It is happening far away... in Iwa." _

"What is it?" Kankuro asked hesitantly. He glanced over at Gaara, but kept the so-called Bijuu within his field of vision. Gaara didn't seem worried about it, it had helped Temari, and now it was just sitting there with its tails waving lazily through the air, but... he'd seen what the tailed beast Gaara contained could do, and _this _one didn't have a proper jinchuuriki to keep it under control. He wasn't crazy enough to try to attack it... again, but he also wasn't crazy enough to trust it, either.

Gaara didn't answer immediately, his eyes going distant and his head cocking to the side. After several seconds, he said, "Ryuudo seems to think that the mountains are collapsing, most likely on top of the village."

Kankuro sucked in a breath, his mind now focused completely on the tactical situation. "You think Iwa did that deliberately?"

He turned to see if Temari agreed with his assessment, only to see the fox-like thing suddenly wince, it's ears lying flat against its skull and its head dropping. As Kankuro watched, the thing stilled, its eyes going unfocused just like Gaara's did when he was talking to his Bijuu. But if Naruto had died long ago, who was it talking to?

"**Gaara**," the thing said suddenly, "**you should head to Iwa and assist. Ryuudo will be very valuable in that situation.**"

Gaara nodded slowly. "And you?"

"**I will accompany you part of the way, but after that... I have other business to attend to.**"

* * *

-4:20 AM-

-Station Alpha, East of Iwagakure-

"Shizune-sama! Shizune-sama!" a ninja yelled as he burst into the main medical tent.

"Shizune-sama is in surgery at the moment. I am the senior med-nin present. What do you need?"

"ANBU are escorting the Sandaime and Mitarashi-jounin here as we speak. Mitarashi seems stable, but the Sandaime has sustained multiple severe injuries."

"I see. I will begin prepping for his arrival immediately. Please direct the Sandaime to medical tent three and Mitarashi to medical tent four when they arrive. You two, prep in tent four for Mitarashi. You, you, and you, with me, now."

"At once, Yakushi-san."

Kabuto nodded sharply, then spun on his heel and sped off to begin his preparations. His master would be most displeased if he allowed this chance to slip by. He would not be able to do anything overt in the middle of the camp, but in the midst of surgery there were several things he could do to smooth the way for a later time.

* * *

-4:20 AM-

-Inside The Seal-

"They are inside the village, moving slowly and assisting the injured. None of them seem particularly tired, even," Kuushou announced calmly, turning his attention back to Ino.

The pressure of Ino's youki slowly faded as she relaxed. He doubted she had been flaring it like that intentionally, but that actually pleased him even more. Her control was growing in leaps and bounds now, and as far as he could tell she was no longer consciously trying to create or direct her youki – instead it was reacting to her subconscious will.

"And you're sure Hinata and the others are safe too?" she asked next.

"I can only confirm some of them directly, but there is no indication that there were other attacks outside of the village."

Ino nodded slowly, the hazy outline of her form rippling with the motion. "So... what now?"

"Now we leave."

Her form tensed again, then her shoulders dropped as she let out a long sigh. "I still don't like this," she said after a moment.

"I know. However, you've reached the point where your youki is self-sustaining, but you lack the experience to keep it under control. As you are now it wouldn't even take a Hyuuga or an Uchiha to realize that something has changed," he reminded her.

She nodded absently as she settled down into her usual position on his back, wiggling her body slightly as she dug deeper into his fur.

"It's funny, you know?" she said quietly, her voice wistful. "After all the things I've kept from them, all the secrets that would probably get me executed for treason, it's only now that we're actually physically leaving that I feel like I'm betraying them."

Kuushou remained silent, sensing that Ino was talking to herself more than to him.

"Hinata's going to lose both her teammates, but the others will have her back. Sakura's finally found her specialty, so she'll be fine. Most of the village won't be affected much one way or the other, but Tou-san and Kaa-san... they'll probably think I'm dead, maybe that we're _both _dead. They should know that we're ok, _better _than ok. Even if we can't go home anymore, they shouldn't have to mourn us on top of that..." she trailed off, finally looking up at him.

He considered pointing out the potential advantages of allowing Konoha – and by extension the rest of the world – to think that she had died. There were quite a few, and the complete anonymity that would afford along with her stealth and the potential mobility afforded by the Hiraishin could be powerful indeed. There were also potential problems informing them could cause, especially if they decided that she needed to be rescued from him.

All it took was one look at her strained, pleading expression for him to set aside that argument. It was times like this that he remembered that, for all her potential and skill, she was still young. She was leaving behind nearly everything she had ever known and hurting a lot of the people she cared about in the process. If this was what she needed to allow her to go through with it, then so be it.

He nodded solemnly and watched the smile bloom on her face before he turned his attention outside of his body once again.

"**Gaara**," he said, interrupting the quiet conversation between the red-head and his siblings. "**This is as far as I go, but before I leave I have a request. When you see Inoichi Yamanaka, give him a message for me..."**

* * *

-4:30 AM-

-Iwagakure-

Gaara walked through the ruins of the village, marveling in the novelty of _no one _paying him any attention as he did so. He was used to looks of fear, mistrust, wariness, suspicion, hostility... being completely and totally ignored as a non-threat was new.

He wasn't sure he liked it all that much.

Still, he was here for a reason, and with Ryuudo directing him he set about his work. He paused in front of a seemingly random pile of rubble and concentrated, his eyes narrowed and small beads of sweat forming on his brow as he turned his power towards a far more delicate task than he was used to.

His chakra flared and rocks shifted and clattered to the ground, sections of the rubble collapsing as their precarious balance was disrupted.

_That _certainly got attention, and he had several ninja from both Suna and Konoha surrounding him within seconds, one stepping forward and demanding that he explain what he was doing. Temari headed off that question, talking quickly, and he remained focused on his task.

It was several more seconds before the rubble cleared away to reveal a wounded Konoha ninja impaled on a small spike of rock, the stone jutting through the left side of the his stomach. He maneuvered the ninja until he was fully clear of the rubble, levitating a small section of rock and making sure to disturb the spike as little as possible. He placed the improvised stretcher in the middle of the street, nodded once to the surrounding ninja, then turned and walked off in the direction Ryuudo indicated.

None of the ninja tried to stop him.

* * *

-4:40 AM-

-Iwagakure-

Chouza let out a grunt as he slowly raised the large stone slab, even his powerful muscles beginning to tire under the strain of his repeated efforts. Inoichi quickly crawled into the opening created, trusting in his friend to keep the massive weight suspended mere inches over his head from falling. His hand reached out, searching for a pulse, though he already knew what he would find from the thick scent of blood.

He sealed the remains in a scroll and crawled back out, his expression growing more grim with every passing moment. Once he was clear, Chouza let the slab drop back into place with a bone-shaking thump.

"Not here either?" Chouza asked grimly.

Inoichi shook his head.

"Kami, what a mess," he grunted. "At least the kids weren't caught up in all of this."

Inoichi nodded slowly at that. However poorly the assault on the village had turned out in the end, everything up to that had gone as smoothly as could be expected. Last he'd heard, only Sasuke and Hinata's teams had even met any hostile forces at all, and that had been with support.

Then there was Naru-... Kuushou. He still wasn't sure what he thought about that, but one way or another he didn't need to worry for _his _safety.

Right now, he'd take what he could get.

He felt a flare of chakra off to his right and turned to see Gaara and his siblings recovering a badly wounded Suna-nin from the rubble of a nearby building. As a team of chuunin carefully carried the ninja towards the nearest medical station, Gaara looked around and caught sight of him. The redheaded boy turned and walked directly toward him, maintaining the same steady, even pace as always.

"Inoichi Yamanaka," Gaara intoned as he stopped a few feet away. "Naruto asked me to deliver a message to you."

"_Naruto_ did?" Inoichi asked, confused. "Why is he using you as a messenger, and when did you see him, anyway?"

"After Akatsuki's attack, Temari was gravely injured and I sought him out for assistance."

"Wait, what?" Inoichi asked, startled. "Akatsuki attacked? When? Where are they now?" He turned and signaled Shikaku to come join them; he would need to hear about this as well.

Gaara frowned slightly. "It was my understanding that such news had already been delivered. I believe they have retreated for now."

"Is that what Naruto's message was about? Did they attack him too?"

"No," Gaara replied shortly, then paused. "No, that is not what the message is about. Yes, they did attack him."

Inoichi felt a chill run down his spine. "What is the message, then?"

"The flower grows ever stronger in the light of a distant sun."

Inoichi froze, the blood slowly draining from his face. "Where are they?" he asked hoarsely.

"'Ichi, what's wrong?" Shikaku asked as he joined them.

"Where are they?" Inoichi repeated, focusing on the jinchuuriki in front of him. He saw Temari and Kankuro exchange an uneasy glance, and shifted his focus to them. "_Where are they?_" he growled, beginning to leak killing intent.

Shikaku stepped in front of him before the situation could escalate, and Inoichi dimly noted the stream of sand retreating into the gourd on Gaara's back.

"Easy, 'Ichi," Shikaku said, glancing towards Chouza. Chouza clapped one of his hands on Inoichi's shoulder, both reassuring him and preparing to restrain him should it prove necessary. With that, the Hokage turned back to the Suna team.

"Start from the beginning."

* * *

-4:45 AM-

-Somewhere Northeast of Iwagakure-

Konan struggled to remain calm as she wound bandages tightly around Nagato's arm. It was impossible to tell where skin ended and muscle began, and the entire mass of flesh was covered in blood. She'd already had to cut off his circulation to prevent him from bleeding out, and she worried that the arm may not be fixable at all. She had been forced to continue moving until she was certain they had shaken off the Bijuu pursuing them, every moment yet another delay that complicated Nagato's treatment. It had been nearly twenty minutes before she landed and broke into a small, abandoned farmhouse to begin her work.

Nagato remained still as she worked, but she could see the anger and frustration burning in his eyes. In the moments where she managed to think of something other than his injuries, she found that she shared his feelings. Jun's loss was still a distant fact, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she began to mourn the loss of the boy she had all but raised as her own. Kyoko's reaction was going to be even worse, since the two had practically been inseparable since birth.

"Kukuku..."

She stiffened as she heard the dark chuckle, then looked up to find Orochimaru – or one of his clones, more likely – casually leaning against the doorframe.

"I never thought I would see the great _Leader-sama _injured to such an extent," the man mocked, not even attempting to hide his contemptuous sneer.

Konan didn't slow in her work, knowing that a mere clone would not be able to threaten them. "What do you want?" she asked over her shoulder, her own disdain for the loathsome ninja plain.

"I have come to collect my payment," he announced.

She paused, turning to stare at him incredulously. "Your _payment_? _You _were assigned to the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, and I know that you completely and utterly failed in your task since we had our own run in with him. What could you have _possibly_ done to deserve any sort of payment?"

"Kukuku... such a _feisty _one. I can see why little Nagato-chan here favors you." He laughed at her expression. "Oh, you didn't think I knew? That I didn't remember the poor trio of orphans my teammate took pity on and trained all those years ago? What was the other one's name... oh yes, _Yahiko_. I suppose he didn't make it, seeing as you named your son after him."

Konan stared at the mocking sneer on the bastard's face, a knot of fear forming in her gut. His next words did nothing to calm her.

"It would be such a shame if history were to repeat itself..."

Nagato finally entered the conversation, turning to level a harsh glare at the Sannin. "What have you done?"

"Done? Oh, I haven't done anything... _yet_. And as long as you surrender that fascinating cube and the Bijuu it contains to me, that will remain true."

"And if we refuse?"

"One way or another," Orochimaru declared, his voice low and threatening, "I will acquire a Bijuu this very day. The most convenient would be one that has already been extracted for me, but I'm not squeamish about getting my hands dirty, as you well know."

The room fell silent, and Konan found herself wavering between raw terror at what this monster could do to her son and a blinding rage that would see her tearing the clone apart limb from limb. Only the knowledge that the real Orochimaru was likely nowhere near their location kept her in check – given his words, he could be in Amegakure at this very moment.

"We surrender the Yonbi, you leave Yahiko and Kyoko alone, and Akatsuki will ignore your transgressions for the time being," Nagato said slowly.

"Oh, so very generous," Orochimaru mocked.

"Or, if you harm Kyoko or Yahiko in any way, I will focus all of Akatsuki's might on your complete and utter destruction until I have personally ripped your soul out of whatever body you have burrowed into and ended your dreams of immortality with my own hands."

Nagato spoke calmly, making the words less of a threat and more of a promise. His Rinnegan eyes were faintly glowing as he poured chakra into them, underscoring his point.

Orochimaru's expression soured, and he stared at them for several seconds.

"You should be careful who you threaten, _boy_," Orochimaru replied at length, "but as long as I get the cube I couldn't care less about the other brats."

"Then take it and leave."

Konan watched as three more clones appeared, lifting the cube and carrying it out of the farmhouse. The first Orochimaru remained until they had disappeared into the distance, then turned and left without another word.

"Are we really going to let him get away with that?" Konan hissed angrily, whirling on her lover.

Nagato's face was mottled red as he finally let his emotions out, his good hand clenched so tightly that his fingernails were drawing blood. "Until we have made sure that Yahiko and Kyoko are safe, we will do nothing. After that... after that," he growled, "the snake's days are numbered."

* * *

-7:00 AM-

-Far North of Iwagakure-

Kurotsuchi walked in silence.

All around her she could hear the shuffling of feet, the small clanking noises of kunai rubbing against one another in pouches, the rustle of clothing as arms swung back and forth. She imagined she could hear the grinding of teeth as ninja young and old bit back their rage and sorrow and turned their backs on their village, leaving behind scores of ninja to cover their retreat.

Three days.

In the end, that was all it had taken. Three days from the moment the combined forces of Suna and Konoha crossed the border to the complete destruction of the village of Iwa. _Her _village.

She wondered if the Tsuchikage had known that his village was doomed, known that Iwa's fall would be so sudden and swift. She wondered if he had seen it written in the loops and curves of the seal that bastard Jiraiya had crafted, the seal that had been copied endlessly until she couldn't even look through the barrier without seeing them stretching into the distance. Always the same, always brushing against the barrier itself.

Someone choked back a sob behind her and to the left, and she could hear them clapping a hand over their mouth as they tried to contain it. She didn't say anything, didn't look, didn't own face could have been carved from stone, a hard expression that would have made her grandf-

She swallowed thickly, feeling her throat burning with suppressed emotion. Her expression didn't waver, though. Not that anyone would have said anything if it did.

"Kurotsuchi-sama," a ninja said as he appeared before her. She recognized him, Daikuji, one of the oldest ninja still in the village. He was long since retired and no longer capable of taking missions, but his knowledge and experience would be invaluable in the days to come.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice flat.

"There is... you need to come with me. Now." There was something in his voice, in his direct stare, that told her he considered this to be very important indeed. And if he didn't want to reveal anything of what it was where others could hear...

She frowned slightly, then nodded. They traveled for nearly twenty minutes, moving quickly and passing several other groups of refugees. Refugees... the word burned in her mind, every syllable proclaiming their failure and their shame, and she swore yet again that their situation would only be temporary, that this was not the true end of Iwa.

Eventually they broke off from the stream of refugees, taking a side passage that led to the surface. There she found four ninja, three of them from Iwa and one of them... not.

For a moment she wondered if she had been betrayed, but quickly dismissed it. Her compatriots were tense and wary, arrayed so that they guarded the entrance to the tunnel. The other ninja was unarmed, holding his arms spread wide and making every effort to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"What do you want?" she asked, addressing the other ninja. If she had been called here, then clearly this was a situation that required her authority as the closest thing Iwa had to a leader at the moment. Time would tell if she would manage to become Tsuchikage in truth, but for now no one was challenging her.

She took a moment to study the young man before her, trying to place his village. He wore no insignia that she could see, and even to her eyes appeared completely unarmed. That only made her more wary; as a ninja, there was never the possibility that he would be _truly _unarmed – all that meant is that she didn't know what his weapons were.

"I bring an offer from my Kage. An offer of alliance."

Kurotsuchi stilled, her mind whirling. "_Alliance?_" she asked, allowing a measure of disbelief into her voice.

"Just so. My Kage knows of Iwa, knows of your tenacity and dedication. He does not believe for a moment that your village has been truly defeated. As such, he wishes to offer aid and protection for the immediate future in exchange for Iwa's friendship and assistance in future endeavors."

Given the situation and the fact that he indicated his Kage was male, the ninja before her could be from only one village. "And what does the Raikage expect of us, exactly?" Kurotsuchi pressed suspiciously.

"You misunderstand. My Kage expects nothing. He will, however, offer the possibility of _revenge_."

An electric thrill shot through her. She had been solely focused on survival, not daring to think of what could come after that. She knew better than to take this at face value, but she also couldn't deny the allure of those words.

"Tell me more."

* * *

-April 22nd, 348 NE-

-Gaikai (The Outer Realm), Myobokuzan (Exquisite Tree Mountain)-

"Why is this suddenly so urgent?" Jiraiya asked as he followed the Toad Elder. He had been summoned to Mount Myoboku merely a day after the disastrous assault on Iwagakure only to be informed that the final stages of his Sage training had to be completed immediately. "I'm still trying to help sort out that mess in Iwa, not to mention figure out where half their damn ninja disappeared to."

"We received word from the other tribes," Fukusaku said grimly. "There is a situation that you are required for, but first you must complete your Sage training and fully become one of us."

"Why couldn't I help out as I am now? I mean, it's not like the change is going to make _that _much of a difference."

"There is information you must have first."

"Then just tell me."

"We can't."

"Why not?" he asked, starting to get a little frustrated.

"I can't answer that question."

Jiraiya's mouth snapped closed as soon as those words registered. Sensei had told him about his attempts to glean information from the Monkeys, and how they would answer some of his questions with those words and nothing else. Sensei had insisted that he shut up and pay attention whenever _any _Summon said that, though he would never explain why.

He followed after the Elder, deep in thought. The short Toad scurried along the winding path, his pace forcing Jiraiya to hurry himself, despite his much longer stride. Up ahead he could see a large cave opening, one that he had never seen before. Four toads he recognized as some of the strongest the tribe had available stood guard at the mouth of the cave, and they each nodded respectfully as he passed.

Once inside, Fukusaku led him deeper and deeper underground, the walls smoothing and becoming more ornately decorated as they continued. Intricate murals covered the walls, depicting the various tribes interacting with each other and humans. At certain points, the murals had been defaced, large sections stricken from the walls completely, and yet despite the immaculate care shown in every other part of this complex there was no sign that any attempt had been made to repair or replace the damaged areas.

"I didn't know the Toads had art like this," Jiraiya mused.

"It is not art," Fukusaku corrected him, "it is history."

"Then what happened to the damaged sections?"

"I can't answer that question."

A detail jumped out at Jiraiya, causing him to stop in his tracks and stare. Up to this point he had seen many different types of Summons depicted, with the Toads by far the most prominent but with the Monkeys, Snakes, Slugs, Weasels, and other tribes he was familiar with represented as well. But this...

"Is that a _dragon_? And a _kappa_?" he asked, stunned.

"Yes."

"I thought those were just legends."

"No, they were real."

Jiraiya winced, hearing the mournful tone and noting the past tense. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"I can't answer that question." There was no mistaking the bitter tone in his words.

Jiraiya didn't say anything further as Fukusaku resumed walking, but he noted that there were quite a few tribes depicted in this area that were not present in the murals he had seen earlier. Some were every bit as fantastical as the Dragons, but others, like the Badgers, seemed just as mundane as the Toads or Slugs.

At length, Fukusaku halted before a large door and raised his cane, rapping on the metal sharply three times. With a low, ponderous groan the doors swung open, Jiraiya's jaw dropping as he caught sight of what lay within.

It was a cavern, easily a hundred meters from floor to ceiling and easily twice that from one side to the other. It appeared as though half of the Toads were crammed into the room, and he was stunned to see Enma the Monkey King and Katsuyu of the Slugs present as well, along with what he assumed were the leaders of the Weasels and Hawks. This was the first time he had ever seen a member of a different tribe inside the Toads' territory, but even that paled before what lay in the middle of the room.

It appeared to be a fountain of some kind, but there was no water or even physical substance. Instead, pure energy, the same energy that laced every inch of Mount Myoboku and the territory the Toads claimed as their own, coiled and bubbled and flowed through the air in the middle of the cavern. The energy extended downward into the floor of the cave, and he couldn't even begin to guess just how far it went.

"Before you lies the Wellspring," Fukusaku said softly. "It is from here that all Toads come forth, and it is here that all Toads return when they pass. And it is here that you shall be reborn."

Jiraiya nodded mutely, only half hearing the words as he stared at the Wellspring. There was an incredible amount of power there, but it wasn't overwhelming or suffocating. Instead it felt welcoming, even soothing.

The next few minutes passed in a blur as he followed Fukusaku's directions, stripping off his clothing and tools and assuming a meditative position at the foot of the Wellspring. Under the Elder's watchful eye he began to gather natural energy, and this time he could clearly feel the energy of the Wellspring flowing into him, filling every inch of his body with power. Even with Fukusaku's assistance, he still struggled to keep a hold on himself, to not let the power consume him or wash him away.

"You must maintain this state, Jiraiya," Fukusaku said suddenly, jarringly.

Jiraiya spoke slowly and carefully. "For how long?"

"You will know when."

He frowned. When Fukusaku had explained the process to him before, there had been no mention of a pause at this point. "I don't know how long I can do this," he admitted.

Fukusaku didn't reply. Instead, he began speaking as if he was reciting a rehearsed speech.

"Oh ye of the Tribe, listen well. For what was done in the name of survival, for battles lost in other worlds, hear of our punishment. Heed these words, lest doom you bring upon us all."

Jiraiya's frown deepened, and for a moment he thought he would be lost in the torrent of power flowing through him as his focus wavered. Before he could be swept away, however, he felt several hands laid upon his back and energy pushed into his body, assisting him and preventing him from losing himself.

"Travel not the Realms or the Ways, lest doom you bring upon us all.

"Teach not of the Realms or of the Ways, lest doom you bring upon us all.

"Seek not battle with the Enemy or their kin, lest doom you bring upon us all.

"Reveal not the secrets of the Enemy or their kin, lest doom you bring upon us all.

"We have not traveled the realms," Fukusaku called out, his tone shifting again. Now he sounded determined, his words measured and forceful. "We have been called forth. We have not taught of the realms, we have kept such knowledge hidden. We have not sought battle, we have defended ourselves and others."

With each sentence there was a loud thrum in the room as every Toad in attendance vocalized their agreement. Fukusaku practically shouted his next words, the proclamation echoing throughout the cavern.

"We have not revealed their secrets, _we have remembered!_"

There was no answer this time. Instead, the tension became almost palpable, affecting him even through the haze of his concentration. He felt someone place their small hand upon his forehead, and heard Fukusaku speaking from directly in front of him. The hands on his back withdrew, leaving him floundering as the power of the Wellspring began to overflow.

"Remember, Jiraiya. Remember, and _let go_."

* * *

_He remembered._

_He remembered the First Toad, the one who first harnessed the power within him and spread the knowledge to others, laying the foundations of the Tribe. _

_He remembered War, when the Tribes struggled amongst themselves, seeking power and land._

_He remembered the Dragons, the first to discover the Ways and travel the Realms, and how they had brought peace to the Tribes at last._

_He remembered the moment he first heard hushed whispers of a dark and dangerous realm, a realm filled with blood and violence where the air weighed heavily upon your lungs and the land was filled with deadly, bloodthirsty creatures._

_He remembered the Alliance, led by the Dragons, which sought to pacify the realm and make it safe for all the Tribes. _

_He remembered the Enemy, gigantic, foul beings marked above all by their tails, whose every thought was hate and whose very touch was poison. _

_He remembered the Victory, when the One-Tailed Enemy was destroyed, the foul beast crawling along the ground as the Dragons assaulted it from the sky and the Badgers died in droves to keep it from retreating._

_He remembered Fear, when word came that the Enemy had been discovered in the human realm, having traveled outisde of their own realm for the first time in the knowledge of the Tribes._

_He remembered the Mistake, when the Tribes immediately banded together in fear to drive the Enemy back to their own realm. If only they had not struck the first blow..._

_He remembered the Struggle, when the Enemy invaded their world, all nine of them, even the One-Tailed Enemy somehow resurrected from its death. _

_He remembered Despair, fighting alongside his fellow Toads in the losing battle against the Six-Tailed Enemy, its every movement a lie and its every strike unseen._

_He remembered Death, when the Nine-Tailed Enemy corrupted the Dragons' Wellspring, shattering their floating island and causing the sky to burn for days on end._

_He remembered Sacrifice, as broken and defeated Tribes offered their very essence to Kami that the others might be spared._

_He remembered the Laws, the Enemy binding them, seeking to destroy them through restriction what Kami had prevented them from completing in action._

_He remembered the Price for breaking the Laws, and shuddered at the thought of surrendering the Wellspring to such monsters._

_He remembered the Contracts, Kami's agreement to allow the Tribes to survive and perhaps even thrive once more._

_He remembered Hope, as a possible loophole in the Laws was discovered and a Plan was born to exploit it._

_He remembered the Opportunity, when the Snakes brought word that their Contractor had one of the Enemy at his mercy, and knowledge of those who knew how to render the Enemy powerless forever._

_He remembered the Secret, the Nine-Tailed Enemy's location and its actions since its return to the human realm._

_He remembered the Prophecy, and knew now who it meant._

_He remembered What He Must Do. _

_He remembered How To Survive._

_He remembered, and he _let go_._

* * *

Jiraiya came awake with a gasp, then clutched at his head in agony. The pounding in his skull was several times worse than any hangover he had ever encountered, and he could feel every muscle in his body quivering as if he had just trained himself into the ground.

Once he finally got ahold of himself, he looked around and found that he was no longer in the cave with the Wellspring, nor was he anywhere near Mount Myoboku that he could tell. He wasn't in Iwa, either, given the terrain. At a guess, he'd place himself somewhere in the western half of the Land of Fire.

He drew in a deep breath, then turned and punched the nearest tree as hard as he could. The trunk shattered as his chakra-enhanced fist tore through the wood like it was paper.

He wanted to hate the Toads for what they'd just done to him. He knew every lie and half-truth they'd told him, every clever evasion and misleading phrase designed to guide his thinking down a specific path. He knew that they had never intended to truly make him one of them, at least not yet. All of this had been for that one step during the the ceremony where he was fully a Toad and yet not permanently a Toad, where they could pass the accumulated memories on to him and then send him back unchanged, still human.

They hadn't even been sure he would survive the process, or retain his sanity. They hadn't been sure _they _would either. That was why the leaders of the other Tribes had been present – to witness the success of their damned Plan or report its failure and the loss of the Toad tribe to the others, in the hope that some part of it could be salvaged.

He knew all of that, and worse, he _understood _why they had done it. And because he did, he couldn't bring himself to hate them. He had done worse in his time as a ninja, and for far less powerful reasons than the safety of an entire world.

He didn't hate Sarutobi and Shikaku either, though _furious _wouldn't be far off the mark_._ They had known for nearly a _year _that his godson had died the night of the sealing, and neither one had said so much as a word to him about it. He was sure they had managed to invent excuses to themselves to justify it, but in the end it all boiled down to the fact that they didn't trust him to handle the news.

He supposed he was partly at fault for that, though. He certainly hadn't given them reason to think otherwise after Minato sacrificed himself. He still hadn't been within three blocks of the Namikaze Estate since that day.

Worse than that, though, was the fact that they had continued to _work _with the Nine-Tailed Enemy. He had seen what those _things _was really like, and he knew there could be no true peace while they remained in the human realm. They would conquer or destroy everything in their path, and any who opposed them would be mercilessly crushed in the process.

Sarutobi and Shikaku should have been able to see that, should have known that from the moment the Enemy began slaughtering Konoha ninja by the dozens with no more care than one might swat a fly. That they couldn't meant that he couldn't rely on them to do what needed to be done.

With what he _remembered_, however, he knew there was someone who could.

His course was clear. He turned to make his way west, towards Ame.

[End Part 3]

* * *

**A/N: Work, a touch of writer's block, and several interesting games coming out in quick succession result in the perfect storm of not posting... who knew?**

**I've**** got a posting schedule for my other stories on my profile, and I'll try to keep it up to date as I go. The upshot is that I'm not committing to posting anything beyond what I've already listed until sometime in December. Part of that is that I expect several other things to be taking up my time, and part of it is the hope (probably futile) that I'll be able to actually build up a buffer again.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	52. The Waiting Game

-April 28th, 348 NE-

-Amegakure-

"Do you understand your orders, Kisame?" Nagato said coldly, barely keeping a rein on his temper as he stared across the desk at his subordinate.

"Loud and clear, Leader-sama," Kisame replied easily, a grin stretching across his face and revealing a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth. "This one will be a _pleasure_."

"As long as you get the job done, you may be as inventive as you like," Nagato added as he allowed a matching smile to grow on his face. "And while you are out, keep an ear to the ground for any news about Hidan. The man was far from stable and his loyalty was only to his so-called god, but it's not like him to just disappear."

"I hear that," Kisame grunted. He paused, a slightly plaintive note entering his voice. "Can I be inventive with him too?"

Nagato paused for a moment, considering, then shrugged. "Depending on what you find. He still has his uses, if he can be brought back into the fold."

Kisame nodded then turned and flowed out of the room, his body tense with anticipation.

Nagato watched him go, then raised one eyebrow curiously as Konan entered the room in Kisame's wake. It was unusual for her to be away from Kyoko; the girl had taken Jun's death hard and had clung to either Konan or, surprisingly, Fuu ever since. Konan wasn't handling it that much better, and had barely let Yahiko out of her sight since they returned.

Orochimaru's betrayal had been well-timed, a serious blow to Akatsuki that they were still trying to recover from, but his threat against Yahiko had crossed a line even beyond that.

It was almost a shame he wouldn't be there to see Kisame correct that.

"What is it, Konan?" he asked, observing the pensive expression on her face.

Wordlessly, she handed him a small note.

_The teacher calls his student for a talk._

_~Ji_

_P.S. Nice job! I told you she'd be a hottie when she grew up!_

Nagato didn't bother to ask if it was real; despite the many years that had passed he could still recognize Jiraiya's hand-writing and his... mannerisms.

"Where?" he asked simply.

* * *

-Same Day-

-Near Ame's Border-

Nagato stared down at the man leaning against the tree, looking for all the world like he was watching the river flow past and paying no attention to his surroundings. Konan hovered in the distance, ready to raise the alarm or come to his assistance should this meeting turn out to be a trap. As far as either of them could determine, Jiraiya was alone and had made no preparations, but that meant very little with a ninja of his caliber.

Nagato's right arm twinged as he flexed his muscles, a reminder that the seals keeping his arm fro being a complete loss were slowly losing their effectiveness. The visible damage was hidden by his cloak at the moment, but he had no doubt that Jiraiya would pick up on it immediately.

"You gonna keep staring all day?" Jiraiya called out, his eyes still fixed on the river.

Nagato considered for a moment, then slowly descended through the air, coming to rest a short distance away from Jiraiya. It wouldn't do to get too close before he was certain of the man's intentions, after all.

"That's more like it," Jiraiya said, finally looking up. Nagato had to force himself not to take a step back as he caught sight of his teacher's expression. It was... cold, colder than he'd ever seen on the normally animated pervert. His movements were still the same grandiose gestures and graceful, if strange, mannerisms, but his face told a different story.

"You've stirred up a shitstorm, brat- no... Nagato, and I don't think you have a clue just how bad it's going to get."

"So Konoha has sent you to threaten us, then?" Nagato asked.

Jiraiya chuckled darkly. "Konoha has even less of a clue than you do, and right now they're in no position to threaten anyone. No, it's the Bijuu you have to worry about. They didn't like you before, but now you're an honest to Kami threat."

"I am well aware of the danger those beings can pose. Akatsuki's records are far more detailed and accurate than any of the villages, even Konoha."

"The villages, sure," Jiraiya said, shrugging. "Tell me, what did you make of your encounter with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki?"

"Are you here to brag about your newest stude-"

"That _thing_," Jiraiya snarled, rage flashing in his eyes and his killing intent flaring wildly, "is no student of mine." He stopped himself with a jerk, breathing deeply and slowly relaxing his clenched fists.

Nagato eyed him warily, gathering his power for a Shinra Tensei and keeping it coiled and ready. That was another expression he'd never seen on his teacher before, and it wasn't any more welcome than the coldness he was displaying now.

"The jinchuuriki had transformed himself into a large fox-like creature," Nagato finally answered, "though it appeared physical rather than a shell like the other jinchuuriki I have observed. He also appeared highly constrained by the Death God's seal, though he was able to perform one attack that greatly exceeded the range he had displayed before."

"Did he gather energy into a large ball and compress it multiple times?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes," Nagato replied simply.

"The Imari, then. It's very slow on the buildup, as I'm sure you noticed."

"It was," Nagato conceded, nodding his head while continuing to study his former teacher.

"What if I told you," Jiraiya said slowly, his expression growing even more intense, "that what you faced was not the jinchuuriki at all, but the beast that was supposed to be contained within?"

"I am aware that some jinchuuriki can manifest their Bijuu to an extent. In some ways his transformation was even less impressive than others I have seen."

Jiraiya just shook his head. "Not like that. I've recently become aware that, in his case, the jinchuuriki and the Bijuu are one and the same."

Nagato stilled as his mind processed that. "How... Naruto Yamanaka was a well known figure in Konoha, and there was never any indication of that."

"Oh, there were plenty of indications, at first," Jiraiya chuckled darkly. "Nobody saw them for what they were, though, and eventually he learned how to pretend well enough to fool everyone. Well, almost everyone."

"How did you learn of this?" Nagato asked, still studying Jiraiya for any sign of deceit.

His former teacher sighed and shook his head. "The Toads went through a lot of trouble to arrange matters so that they could let me know what was going on. Up until that point, I didn't have the first clue, even if a few people in Konoha already knew."

"Konoha is aware of this?" Nagato asked, surprised. "Have they struck some form of bargain with it?"

Jiraiya barked a short, humorless laugh. "Konoha was used from start to finish, and now the Bijuu is running free doing Kami knows what. Konoha has proven that they can't do what needs to be done, and the rest of the villages would be no better. Which is why I've come to you."

"And just what is it you want from us?" Nagato asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was prepared for his teacher to plead with him to set aside their differences and assist the villages in controlling this danger, or for Akatsuki to provide information to assist in their tasks.

"What _I_ want," Jiraiya said intently, "is for Akatsuki to capture every Bijuu and create jinchuuriki using your newest seals."

Nagato blinked, trying to hide his surprise at that declaration.

"Did you know," Jiraiya continued, "that Akatsuki has created a seal even more effective than that of the Death God's? That your seals completely eliminate any chance of a Bijuu escaping under their own power?"

"Perhaps," Nagato hedged. He knew that their seal was highly effective, but not to that extent.

"I intend to see every Bijuu locked away behind one of your seals, controlled and powerless for the rest of their existence, and I intend to help you do that by any means necessary."

Nagato felt a small burst of hope blooming inside of his chest. Akatsuki had suffered several major setbacks recently, not least of which was the loss of Jun and Hidan. Gaining another S-class ninja would go a long way toward replacing those losses, and even among S-class ninja Jiraiya was at the very top of the heap.

And a small part of him that he'd thought long buried still remembered the funny man who had taken in three orphans and taught them how to survive in the middle of hell. He'd learned long ago that trust was easily abused, however, and those days had long since passed.

"I'll need more than just your word for that, Sensei," he said finally.

Jiraiya nodded, not looking at all put out. "I've got two presents for you," he said, pulling out a scroll. "First is the latest information on all jinchuuriki, including a full profile on the Kyuubi's known abilities that I compiled personally."

Nagato nodded slowly. If the information was accurate, that would undoubtedly be very useful.

"The second might take a little more time to arrange, but... how'd you like to get your arm fixed?"

* * *

-May 8th, 348 NE-

-Outside of Kirigakure-

Mei approached the designated meeting location with her escort of ANBU, her senses working full time to ferret out the slightest hint of a trap. Her village stood to gain much from this, if all went well, but she normally preferred to have far more control over the situation that she currently did.

The first person she sighted was the young man who called himself Watanabe, among many other aliases. He was tall, just shy of six feet, and carried himself with an easy confidence. His current persona had close cropped black hair and soft brown eyes that matched the relaxed smile on his face. She was, so far as she knew, the only person in Kiri who was aware of his true identity: Itachi Uchiha.

The second was roughly a foot shorter than Itachi and swathed in a thick cloak that obscured his entire form. As she stared at the being, trying to make out any details under the cloak, she wondered again why she had agreed to this meeting. Itachi could be very convincing and his reasons seemed to make a great deal of sense, but at the same time she'd never been so certain that she was courting disaster.

"Thank you for seeing us, Mizukage-sama," Itachi said, bowing deeply. "We are honored that you would grant us an audience on such short notice."

Mei tensed slightly; "honored" was the keyword to signal that everything had gone smoothly on Itachi's end, but the lack of "truly" also indicated that Itachi had encountered an abnormality of some kind.

"Of course, Watanabe-san," Mei said regally, easily hiding her tension. She glanced at the ANBU lurking in the shadows around her and motioned towards them. "Make sure that our conversation is not disturbed."

Her ANBU dutifully moved out to take up positions a short distance away, leaving her in relative privacy with the two others. Once they were clear, she turned back to her two guests, making sure to remain poised and ready to react at a moment's notice. She trusted Itachi more than most, but she trusted his guest not at all.

The cloaked figure threw back his hood, revealing his young, almost childish features and bright blonde hair. Her eyes locked onto his for a moment, fascinated in spite of herself at the strange color and oddly-shaped pupils, then trailed over his face taking note of the deep lines that swept across his cheeks.

"Five million ryo," she said casually, a small smirk on her lips.

Her guest blinked, eying her oddly for a moment before he shook his head. "Five million ryo?"

"That's how much you're worth to Konoha. Five million for information that leads to your _safe _return."

"That's all?" the young man asked, his lips curling into a grin. "I'm almost insulted."

"I was also surprised at how cheaply they valued you," Mei agreed, nodding in agreement. "Then again, they seem to be under the illusion that your status as a jinchuuriki is still a secret. But you aren't _really_ a jinchuuriki, are you, Kuushou-san?"

"That's a matter of perspective, I suppose," he demurred, his grin widening.

Mei's eyes narrowed as her smile vanished. "I may have agreed to meet with you, Kuushou-san, but I am far from convinced that you have anything to offer that Kiri would be willing to accept. Why are you really here?"

Kuushou dropped his grin, leaving a cold and calculating look behind. "I am here," he began, "because we are each in a position to help one another. With the fall of Iwa and the losses incurred by Konoha and Suna, Kiri and Kumo are currently sitting at the top of the heap, so to speak. Unlike Kumo, however, you do not currently have any jinchuuriki and are thus at a distinct disadvantage."

"And I suppose you are offering to join Kiri to give us a jinchuuriki?" Mei asked drily, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Hardly appealing given that you abandoned Konoha in the middle of a war less than a month ago."

"Of course not," he scoffed, sweeping one hand through the air as if to brush aside the very idea. "I have had my fill of following orders."

"What then?" Mei pressed.

"An alliance."

She chuckled, amused. "Given what you are, I am not so foolish as to dismiss your personal power outright. Nonetheless, a single being seeking to work with us for his own convenience is hardly an appealing alliance. You could leave us just as abruptly as you left Konoha."

"Ah," Kuushou responded, grinning once more. "I'm afraid you are mistaken on two counts. First, I think you will find that I have much more to offer than mere power. And second... whatever gave you the idea that the alliance was only with me?"

She caught Itachi shifting out of the corner of her eye and noted that he was studying Kuushou intently.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly. "To my knowledge, Kumo has two of your... brethren held captive, Suna one, and Akatsuki has managed to capture or subvert the rest of the jinchuuriki, including the previous Mizukage."

Kuushou shook his head. "How disappointing... to think you would have so little faith in your predecessor."

Mei stiffened, her eyes widening in shock before she managed to control herself. "Yagura? He's been presumed dead for years."

"Yagura has been fighting Akatsuki longer than anyone. Indeed, much of what I know of them came from him."

Mei kept her expression neutral, but inside her mind was racing. This changed a great deal, but also raised many questions. If Yagura truly was still alive, then why had he never contacted his village? If Kuushou was to be believed, the former Mizukage had been working against Akatsuki ever since he first disappeared, but to what end? And, most of all, just what was his relationship with Kuushou?

"And just what are you expecting to get out of this?" she asked carefully.

"For the immediate future, I merely require a place to work with complete privacy. There are certain tasks that I need to take care of quickly, before they become any more annoying."

Mei noted that Kuushou was smirking slightly, although if there was a joke somewhere in that she certainly didn't see it.

"Once that is dealt with... I think you will find that Kiri, out of all the ninja villages, is uniquely suited to benefit from my plans. After all, you are the only major village without a jinchuuriki and thus the only major village which is not directly opposed to my goals."

"The same could be said of Konoha, given that until recently you were their sole jinchuuriki."

"The situation within Konoha was... complicated, and recent events have made my presence there no longer viable."

"Where is Ino-chan?" Itachi asked suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Officially she was listed as killed in action, but I do not believe you would have left so quietly were that truly the case. There are quiet rumors that she was with you or, barring that, that you went missing to find her. I would have expected one of your demands to be for assistance in that matter."

Mei observed Kuushou's reaction carefully. Itachi had explained his suspicions about Ino's relationship with Kuushou, but they had both agreed that it was a subject best left alone until they had more information. Hopefully Itachi's sudden interruption would reveal some of that information.

Rather than looking upset or angry, Kuushou appeared distinctly amused. "Oh, she's perfectly fine, and I know exactly where she is. It goes without saying that any deals made with me must include her as well."

"Do we need to send a team to escort her to Kiri, then? Assuming we come to an agreement, of course," Mei offered. It was a simple gesture that would give her ninja time to study and interact with the girl while she was away from Kuushou, possibly gaining some insight into the situation.

"That will not be necessary," Kuushou said, that same half-smirk still on his face. "I'm sure she'll find her own way here eventually."

Mei continued studying him for a moment, then shrugged. "So you want a place to hide for yourself and Ino Yamanaka and our assistance in your efforts against the other jinchuuriki, including, I'm sure, acting against the S-rank ninja that make up Akatsuki."

Kuushou nodded. "Summed up nicely."

Mei hummed thoughtfully, absently playing with a strand of hair that fell over the front of her shoulder.

"I'm afraid that I'll need something a little more substantial than that," she said at length.

"You don't see the benefits of working with us?" Kuushou asked, his eyes narrowing and seeming to darken slightly as he met her gaze.

"I don't see the benefits of working _for _you," she corrected. "I haven't heard the first mention of working _with _you yet."

"I see," Kuushou said slowly, his head tilting slightly and his eyes slowly drifting around the area. "What, then, would satisfy you?"

"I require something up front, something of immediate, tangible benefit to my village before I can even consider any long-term alliance between my village and your... group. As it stands I have little reason to trust you and many reasons to be wary of you. I do not seek to make an enemy of you, but taking you into my village and committing resources to assisting you is an entirely different matter."

"I gather you have something specific in mind."

"Several things, actually," she said, shifting her weight and leaning forward slightly. "Kiri has gathered a great deal of information on you over the years, especially after you began to train under Jiraiya of the Sannin. You are known to have quite a few skills and jutsu that are both powerful and versatile. Those could benefit Kiri greatly."

Kuushou eyed her for a moment. "You'll have to be a little more specific than that."

"I want a full accounting of your medical training; everything you know about medical jutsu and especially everything you learned from Shizune Katou. I want a list of all the seals Konoha has access to and everything Jiraiya has taught you about fuinjutsu. I want information about the Toad Summoning Contract. I want the Rasengan. Give me all of that and you will have a place in Kiri."

Kuushou began pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He made several circuits before turning back to her.

"Writing all of that out would take a considerable amount of time, and I have no doubt that you would insist that I train your ninja in the skills and techniques as well. That could take months, years even, which would hardly allow me to pursue my own goals."

"You wouldn't be required to spend _all _of your time training my ninja, but I must have some way to verify that what you are providing actually works as stated."

He paced back and forth twice more before he turned to her again. "A compromise, then. I will spend three days a week training one ninja in healing techniques, another in ninjutsu, and a third in fuinjutsu. They may then spend as much time as they like training whoever you wish."

"That could take months before the village sees results," Mei countered.

"Which is why I will make a trip to your hospital and heal whoever you wish today, as a gesture of good faith. I will also provide two B-rank seals of whatever type you wish for your ninja to study.

"In exchange for that," he continued, his voice firm, "you will show me to whichever house or compound I will be staying in and give me three uninterrupted days to take care of my own tasks. After that, I will begin training whatever ninja you have selected."

Mei kept her gaze focused on Kuushou as she pondered his offer. There were several ninja currently in the hospital who were teetering on the brink of death, and quite a few others who were beyond the skills of Kiri's med-nin to restore to full health. If the Bijuu was true to his word and was capable of healing them, Kiri would regain nearly a dozen veteran ninja far sooner than they had dreamed possible. That alone would be a significant boon.

The seals might or might not prove useful in the long run ― she would need to consult with Kiri's sealing experts to determine what they should ask for ― but the three days he was asking for could also provide enough time for Kuushou to complete whatever his "task" was and flee Kiri, reneging on the rest of their agreement. She knew better than to think they would be able to stop or delay him without significant loss of life, even if they could eventually manage to contain him using fuinjutsu. If he did choose to flee Kiri rather than outright attacking, the wisest course would likely be to allow him to do so and deal with him at a later time, away from the village.

"What are these tasks you need to accomplish?" she pressed.

"A strictly personal matter on my part, I assure you. Kiri is not involved in any fashion. Technically I don't even need to do it there, but having privacy and the assurance that I will not be interrupted is much preferred."

Mei frowned slightly at his evasion, but it seemed clear that she was not going to get anything else out of him. She turned to Itachi, silently asking his opinion on the matter. He gave a slight nod in return, his expression impassive.

"Very well," she said, turning back to the Bijuu. "Let us proceed to the hospital while I call for my sealing experts. Once you've proven you can do what you claim, we'll see about the rest."

* * *

-Same Day-

-Kirigakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Mist)-

-4:00 PM-

Mei studied Kuushou as they walked towards the hospital; their small group - comprised of herself, Kuushou, Itachi, and an escort of ANBU - was drawing quite a lot of attention as they moved through the streets. Some of the looks were directed towards herself, she was sure, but she spent enough time within the village that she was hardly an unusual sight. Itachi himself was much more unusual, but he played the part of a wandering merchant turned information broker well.

No, most of the looks were directed towards Kuushou, who had drawn up the hood of his cloak once more, but still allowed tantalizing glimpses of his face and eyes to be seen. His eyes especially would send the rumor mill into overdrive, as Kiri had many bloodlines but lacked a _doujutsu_ of any kind. Kuushou's inhuman eyes bore enough resemblance to the Sharingan that a cursory look might mistake one for the other.

Ironic, since the true Sharingan was walking on her right, hidden behind placid brown contact lenses.

The Bijuu remained silent as they entered the hospital and were approached by a civilian nurse, her frazzled brown hair hanging just short of her shoulders and her blue uniform looking rumpled. "How can I help you, Mizukage-sama?" she asked.

"We're here to see Yuunochi," Mei replied, her gaze scanning the lobby and noting that most of the waiting patients were civilians, and only two looked to be even moderately injured. Nothing here that would tax an average med-nin, nevermind someone of Kuushou's claimed skill. "He will be expecting us," she added.

"Right this way, Mizukage-sama," the woman replied, moving quickly and leading them down a side corridor. She knocked on the door to an office a minute later, sticking her head in and speaking for a moment before she turned and bowed, motioning them inside. She left as soon as they entered, closing the door behind her. The office was small and cluttered, stacks of paper covering every available surface.

"Welcome, Mizukage-sama," Yuunochi said easily as he stood from his desk. "I received your requests and believe I have located a suitable patient." His gaze flickered to Kuushou's cloaked form. "Is this the one who...?" he trailed off.

Mei nodded tersely. "Assuming he can do what he claims, yes."

The med-nin's gaze sharpened, but he just nodded. "If you'll follow me, then."

He left the office, leading them deeper into the hospital, down two floors into the underground area and past three security checkpoints. The last checkpoint balked at letting so many people in at once, even with her own presence, but finally backed down at her direct order. She might have been more annoyed if that tenacity wasn't exactly why they'd been picked for this duty in the first place.

Yuunochi finally led them into a circular room that was occupied by a single large bed. The sole occupant was spread out upon it, his arms and legs stretched out wide and wrapped in the thick bandages. Seals were drawn upon the bed and the cloth that was wrapped around his body.

"Hiruo Taguchi, jounin," Yuunochi began, clearly reciting from memory. "Brought in three weeks ago by his genin team after he was severely injured battling a missing-nin. He suffered multiple broken bones and a significant abdominal wound, but the largest issue has been the three distinct poisons that were introduced into his system.

"Initial attempts to heal him were only partially successful, and we have been unable to identify one of the substances used against him and thus have not been able to clear it from his system. He has been placed in partial stasis to buy time for the missing-nin to be tracked down and the third poison identified so that it can be safely countered, but we are running up against the limits of that technique.

"We can only maintain the stasis for another two days, and we estimate only a ten percent chance of even partial recovery without the antidote."

"In other words," Mei said, "he's likely to be dead within the week."

"Correct, Mizukage-sama," Yuunochi replied, not sounding at all disturbed by her blunt assessment.

Mei turned to Kuushou, who had thrown back his hood and was studying the seals covering the bed closely.

"There's your patient," Mei pressed, her tone cold. "You've got two days to figure something out. Unless, of course, you aren't up to it?"

It probably wasn't a fair test, but she had specifically asked for something her own med-nin couldn't handle. If he failed, then he would have to provide more in other areas to make up for it. If he succeeded, then she regained an experienced jounin and the knowledge that allowed him to cure a patient where her own ninja failed.

Kuushou shrugged, then turned and began walking around the bed until he was standing next to the ninja's head. He reached out one hand and laid it on the ninja's forehead while he placed the other on one of the seals that covered the bed.

Every ninja in the room was a veteran, so they weathered the abrupt flare of chakra that filled the room with an oppressive aura stoically. Only Yuunochi showed any outward reaction, and even he seemed more interested in what Kuushou was doing than taken off guard.

The seals glowed brightly for a moment before burning away, the careful black script and elegant loops of finely crafted seals fading into splotches of ink. The sound of Hiruo's breathing immediately filled the room, labored and heavy. The muffled groans and clenched teeth spoke of the pain he was enduring, and Mei's sharp eyes noted that his muscles stood taut against his skin even as he held his body almost unnaturally still.

And then red chakra poured out of Kuushou's form and into the wounded ninja, completely covering his body in a matter of moments and raising the oppressive aura in the room even higher.

Mei endured it without a twitch, her eyes studying the Bijuu rather than the ninja he was working on. Not for the first time she wondered just what it was that he planned to gain from all of this, and why he was being so open about powers that he had carefully hidden for over a decade prior to this. Placing himself in the middle of a ninja village would make it easier to hide in some respects, but then he wasn't actually hiding all that much at the moment.

There had to be something more than simply a place to rest for awhile. Though only other factor she knew of was Ino Yamanaka, and she failed to see how the girl would be safer in Kiri than in her own village. Unless...

The red chakra abruptly withdrew and the oppressive feeling vanished, drawing her out of her thoughts. Kuushou turned to look at her once again, a wide smirk on his face.

"Next?"

* * *

-Mizukage's Office-

-6:00 PM-

"Completely healed, according to Yuunochi," Mei said with a small frown on her face. "They're keeping him for observation to make sure this isn't some sort of trick, but every indication is that the Bijuu was true to his word."

"Partially," Zabuza grunted, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't see Yuunochi pumping out those chakra limbs or whatever any time soon, do you?"

"Definitely not," Ao said, shooting Zabuza a glare before turning to face Mei. "Those limbs contained more chakra than most ninja have in their entire bodies, and the aura that surrounds him did not dim noticeably while he was using them."

"In other words, he still hasn't demonstrated a technique which we can actually use ourselves," Mei concluded. "Still, we have regained a jounin thought lost and stand to gain several more."

She turned towards Ao. "Have you seen anything in the house we provided?"

Ao shook his head. "He did a quick walkthrough, then immediately went to the basement and began placing privacy seals over the entire area, including the floor and ceiling. He'd already finished one full layer before I left, and seemed to be adding more. Depending on how many he adds, even I may not be able to see through it."

"Does he know you have a Byakugan?" Mei asked sharply.

Ao shrugged. "There's no indication that he does, but I can't really say for sure."

"Don't take any chances," Mei ordered. "He might give away something we can use if he lets his guard down on that front. Konoha is supposed to have a monopoly on that particular bloodline, after all."

* * *

-Kuushou's Residence-

-7:00 PM-

Kuushou finished applying the third layer of privacy seals and activated them by shoving some of his body's chakra into them. They lit up immediately, dyeing the basement workshop with an even brighter blue tinge.

"_I'm starting to think you're paranoid_," Ino muttered inside his head. "_It's not like there are any Hyuuga around_."

"Which is why I'm only bothering with three layers," he replied easily. He turned and moved back to the center of the basement where a large table stood, the smooth, flat surface covered by a simple white sheet of cloth.

"You might not want to pay attention to this part," he added as he pulled out a small scroll.

"_I've already seen it, remember? I _lived _it_."

"Up to you."

With that, Kuushou activated the sealing scroll. When the last traces of smoke cleared, Ino's physical form lay spread out on the table, the smell of charred flesh and blood already beginning to assault his senses. He smirked to himself, as despite Ino's words he could feel her unease at the sight; she didn't say anything, however.

He poured his youki into the body a moment later and focused.

He started with the burns first, the blackened skin and seared tissue regenerating as he worked, leaving not a single sign that there had been any damage at all. Once the outer layers were restored and smooth, pale flesh had replaced the devastation the upstart jinchuuriki's attack had wrought, he set to work on her bones and tendons, and then from there to her muscles and nerves.

The room was eerily silent as he worked, his pulsing youki the only movement as it swept back and forth over Ino's form. He lost track of time, blocking out everything to focus on his task as he adjusted her body to mimic all of the improvements he had made to his own over the years. He would have to repeat this process several times over the coming weeks to fully incorporate everything, but it was a start.

"_What's taking so long?_"

"I'm nearly finished," Kuushou said distractedly. He paused for a moment, contemplating whether he should adjust her vision or not, but decided to leave it be for now. She would have enough to adjust to already, and she might even have her own ideas for how to proceed there.

"And done," he declared as he pulled his youki back into his body. Other than the damaged clothing and stains on the cloth covering the table, there was no sign that Ino's body had suffered any injuries at all.

"_About time,_" Ino complained. "_I can only stare at myself for so long before I get bored, even if I _am _hot_."

Kuushou chuckled for a moment, shaking his head. "You can transfer back in whenever you..." he trailed off, suddenly feeling the loss of the second presence within the seal, one that he had grown accustomed to over the last few weeks.

* * *

Ino didn't waste any time; the moment Kuushou gave her the all-clear she was moving, eager to return to her own body at long last.

Not that she'd minded staying in the seal, exactly. She'd been in there before, many times, but it was different when she couldn't return to her own body whenever she wanted. The knowledge that it wasn't simply for a matter of hours or even minutes, but was instead going to last for days, weeks, possibly even months had been difficult to adjust to. She had struggled with it for some time, and if she hadn't had Kuushou with her for company she wasn't certain how well she would have managed.

It had certainly given her a new perspective on the situation with Kuushou and the other Bijuu, though. A small taste of the complete isolation they must have experienced constantly, an echo of the helplessness and frustration that defined their situation. She shuddered to think what Ryuudo must have gone through, with constant torture piled on top of that.

She shoved those thoughts aside as her spirit flowed back into her body, filling it and settling in like she was putting on her favorite shirt. There was a disorienting moment where she felt like she was both in and out of her body, an odd doubling of sensations that she had never experienced before, but it slowly smoothed out and then vanished entirely.

She drew in a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of air in her lungs and the slightly scratchy quality of the sheet she was laying on. Even the slowly dissipating scent of burned flesh was oddly welcome, if also a little nauseating.

She was still aware of that sixth sense ― or seventh, or eighth ― that had slowly become more acute ever since Kuushou had done whatever he had done to change her. Kuushou's presence filled her mind, his almost overwhelming power centered so close to her fighting with the strange quality of the mental image that identified him but that she couldn't quite figure out.

She was still annoyed that he had refused to explain just what it meant.

Akkai's power had been simple to understand and identify, and even Kounori's she had been able to puzzle out when they'd met a few days ago, even if she knew she would never really understand it as Kounori herself did. She hadn't encountered any of the others to get a sense of their power yet, but she had a feeling they would still be more understandable than Kuushou's.

She'd even tried throwing out random guesses based on what she could figure out, but his amused insistence that "When you know, you'll know," had ended that.

She pulled herself up into a sitting position, then flailed around for purchase as she found she had nearly flipped herself off of the table. Her hand shot around to grab the edge, but the wooden surface broke off under her grip and she tumbled off completely, landing on the floor in a heap.

"Ow," she said after a moment, letting out a small groan. Low laughter was her only answer, and she carefully adjusted her position until she could turn and level a glare at Kuushou, which only seemed to increase his amusement.

"I did warn you about that," he said after he had stopped laughing, though his grin hadn't wavered in the least. "Just be glad I didn't take it all the way immediately."

Ino carefully picked herself up off the floor, testing each motion of her arms and legs as she did so.

"This isn't too bad," she declared finally. "I just have to be a little careful is all." She caught the gleam in Kuushou's eye and frowned, tensing slightly. "Now wait just a-"

He didn't, blurring forward to launch a punch that would have caught her in the stomach if she hadn't twisted out of the way. She stumbled slightly as she found herself off balance, and began backstepping quickly to gain some distance as she recovered.

"Can't you hold on for-"

Apparently not, as she was forced to hop over a leg sweep and found herself hovering in the air as she leapt nearly a foot higher than she intended. Kuushou continued to rotate, his leg lashing out as he rose and impacting forcefully against the crossed arms that she had barely gotten up in time to block. She was tossed several feet through the air and executed a quick backwards roll, popping onto her feet as she finally found herself prepared for the first time since Kuushou started their impromptu spar.

She caught sight of his hands flashing through a sequence of seals that she recognized, and she reacted instinctively to counter the lightning technique he was about to launch in her direction. Her hand swept through the air in front of her as she created an arc of lightning that would catch and-

She squeezed her eyes shut and cut off the technique at the shockingly bright flare of light that filled the room. She heard the sharp crackle of two lightning techniques impacting and the snap of shattering wood and winced.

After a few moments she cracked one eye open, blinking it rapidly to try and clear the spots that danced across her vision. Through the blurry haze she could see the outline of Kuushou's form standing a few feet in front of her.

"Physically you're adapting better than I expected," he said. "On the other hand, it looks like your control is shot. Unless you meant to fry half the room and blind yourself, that is?"

Ino shook her head ruefully, cracking open the other eye and taking in the shattered remains of the table and the jagged lines of charred stone that covered the floor and walls.

"The Hiraishin's definitely out, then. We'll need to focus on chakra exercises for now."

Ino nodded in agreement, then frowned. "What about my official 'arrival' in Kiri?"

"We'll go with Plan B. I'll head out in a day or two to 'meet' with you and carry your body out in a scroll."

"And I _just _got out of the damn seal," she muttered. She winced, then shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Kuushou just waved her off. "Trust me, I know _exactly _how you feel." He scanned the room for a moment, then walked over to where the table had previously stood and picked up several chunks of wood.

Tossing them to her, he said, "Start with the leaf exercise, then move up to wall-walking. The sooner you're back to the level needed for the Hiraishin, the better."

Ino nodded quietly and settled onto the floor, holding one of the blocks of wood in her hand. As she focused on the exercise, she immediately noticed that something was off. Her chakra was responding without too much trouble and she could even feel her small youki reserves flowing throughout her body, but when the two met there was the strangest feeling. She'd never experienced anything quite like it, but if she had to put a name to it, it would be...

"Little brother?"

"Yeah?"

"I think my chakra is vibrating."

Kuushou paused and eyed her curiously. "That's interesting," he mused after a few moments. "I wonder why you didn't feel it before..."

She knew her brother well, better than anyone, so she caught the moment his contemplative look was briefly broken by a flash of startled realization. Before she could call him on it, however, he had already turned and was walking towards the stairs.

"Keep working on your control," he said over his shoulder. "I'll be back shortly with some more supplies and food. I used up a lot of your body's reserves correcting the damage that little jinchuuriki did to you."

Ino was distracted from her thoughts as her stomach reminded her that it was indeed thoroughly empty at the moment with a loud growl. With an annoyed sigh, she plopped down onto the floor and began focusing her chakra.

* * *

**A/N: And thus begins Part IV. **

**I've still got a chapter of STC and Ramen Days to post, so the next chapter for TEC will be on the 12th. After that, I'm aiming to return to my every other week posting schedule for TEC until the story is complete.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	53. Shifting Foundations

-May 9th, 348 NE-

-Kirigakure-

-Mizukage's Office-

Mei narrowed her eyes at her subordinate. "What do you mean, 'appeared'?"

"Just that, Mizukage-sama," Ao replied. "At no time did anyone enter or leave the basement – I have confirmed that with multiple teams who were observing the building. Nonetheless, between the time I left to report and when I returned to observe, a second person was there."

"And it wasn't a clone of some sort?" Mei pressed.

"Definitely not, Mizukage-sama. It's difficult to pick out details through the layers of seals Kuushou put up, but the second person remained even when he left the premises, far beyond the known range his seal allows him."

Her eyes cut over to Itachi. "Is it possible he was lying about the limitations of his seal?"

"It's almost certain that he's lying about it in some capacity," Itachi replied calmly, "but there has never been a single indication that aspect has ever varied since the day he was sealed."

"Not only that, Mizukage-sama," Ao said, cutting back into the conversation with a small frown at Itachi, "but the second person is not an elemental clone, and if it were a shadow clone the chakra signature would be the same – this second person has a completely different signature."

Mei nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll accept – _for now _– that it really is a second person. The question becomes how they got there."

"There's only one entrance to the basement, and there's no sign that any ninjutsu was used that would allow them to pass through the walls or floors. The likelihood that they slipped past the teams watching the house are minimal at best, and it would have had to occur during the narrow window of my absence." Ao bowed his head apologetically. "For now, we have no explanation."

"Keep working at it," Mei ordered, scowling. "If the Bijuu has a way to slip people into my village undetected, I need to know about it. I also want to know immediately if a third person shows up."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Ao said, bowing.

"Moving on, Kuushou has _informed _me that he will be departing the village to meet with Ino Yamanaka in two days, and has agreed to let a squad of ninja accompany him. Ao, I want you leading that squad, and you may take whoever you like with you."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Ao said, bowing again.

"Shinichiro," Mei said next, turning to Itachi, "I expect you to keep your ear to the ground about any movements from Konoha and Akatsuki in particular. We're preparing cover identities for Kuushou and Ino Yamanaka, but if word gets out that we're playing host to a Bijuu, I would expect to see some reactions from them."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Itachi said, mimicking Ao's bow.

"Dismissed," Mei said, turning her attention back to the pile of papers on her desk.

~Scene Break~

-May 11th, 348 NE-

-Kirigakure-

"Right on time, Hoshi-san," Ao said, nodding to the cloaked and masked ninja who had just appeared near the gate. The other members of his team, only aware that they were escorting one defector to meet with another ninja looking to defect, studied the new arrival curiously. Other than the relatively short height, there were no hints as to the ninja's age or gender.

"Of course, Ao-san," the distorted voice replied with a nod. "If your team is prepared, we can set out immediately."

"We are," Ao confirmed, turning towards the open gates.

Without another word, "Hoshi" sped out of the gates, setting a fast but reasonable pace for a ninja that quickly ate up the distance. Ao noted that Kuushou was heading in a direction that would place him on the coast of the Land of Water's main island within three hours at their current speed.

The journey passed with little conversation. Ao's team had been instructed to avoid prying into the defector's past or identity, and Ao himself was more interested in studying Kuushou's chakra so that he could better understand how his strange aura worked and what its purpose was. Kuushou himself seemed perfectly content to travel in silence as well, responding to the few questions he received with terse replies or stony silence.

Ao motioned his team to readiness as Kuushou began to slow, scanning the area more thoroughly as if searching for something. Another ten minutes passed before Kuushou finally pointed to a building in the distance.

"There," he said. "They should be waiting in the building. I need to approach alone while I establish my identity and theirs; once I've confirmed that, I'll bring them out and we can head back to the village."

Ao frowned slightly. While far from an unusual request when dealing with paranoid – or properly skittish – ninja, he didn't like the idea of letting Kuushou so far out of his sight, and especially out of the range of his Byakugan.

"I'll accompany you part of the way there," Ao countered, motioning for his team to remain in their current position.

Kuushou didn't reply for a moment, but eventually nodded his assent.

Ao finally stopped roughly a hundred meters away from the abandoned farmhouse, leaning against the lone tree and motioning Kuushou forward calmly. Internally, his mind was racing.

The farmhouse was completely empty. Not only that, but there wasn't a single sign that anyone had been near the place in years, let alone someone waiting there for days or weeks.

He watched as Kuushou strode forward, paused ten meters away from the house to make a series of signals, then entered and closed the door behind him.

He watched as Kuushou entered a small cellar, pulled a scroll from underneath his cloak, and unsealed a body. A body that perfectly matched the description of one Ino Yamanaka.

He watched as the air between Kuushou and the body shimmered for a moment before the body of one Ino Yamanaka abruptly stood, brushed dust off of the cloak that covered her form, and smacked Kuushou on the shoulder playfully.

He watched as the two strolled out of the farmhouse to meet him. He watched as they rejoined his team and began the trek back to Kirigakure.

He watched, and he wondered.

~Scene Break~

-Same Day-

-Kirigakure-

-Mizukage's Office-

"Not possible," Mei said flatly. "No living thing can survive being sealed like that. It's been proven hundreds of times in hundreds of different ways."

"Up until five hours ago, Mizukage-sama, I would have agreed with you. However, the fact remains that Ino Yamanaka's body was sealed in a scroll for a minimum of three hours and that she has suffered absolutely no ill effects whatsoever from the experience. You spoke with the girl yourself!"

Mei didn't have an immediate reply to that, instead slumping back in her chair and rubbing her forehead tiredly. "I suppose she's the mysterious second person that showed up two days ago?"

"I am certain of it, Mizukage-sama," Ao said, nodding. "Not only does she match the physical dimensions, but her signature is quite distinct."

"Well, we know how she got there, at least," she muttered lowly. Her eyes widened, and she looked over at Ao. "She's a _Yamanaka_."

Ao shrugged. "That was the only explanation I could come up with as well, Mizukage-sama. We know next to nothing about how their techniques work, but if they can disconnect from their own bodies to that extent, it would explain how she could survive that where no one else could."

Mei nodded distractedly, one hand absently playing with a strand of hair that spilled down her front. "We're already warned her about using any mind techniques while she's in the village without our expressed approval, but I'm wondering if we've underestimated just what she can do."

"As long as she remains within her own body, I don't believe we have anything to worry about."

"From what you just told me, she _wasn't _in her body for an unspecified length of time. If she was hiding in Kuushou during your trip out to 'retrieve her,' who's to say she couldn't have been hiding out in someone else's?" Mei bit out.

Ao paled at the implications, then slowly shook his head. "It's _possible_," he admitted, "but I don't think she was. The Byakugan was able to see the transfer when she moved from Kuushou to her own body, and I have never noticed that happening before. At the very least she has never done that where I could see it, and that covers a significant span of time.

"Besides," he added, "if Konoha had that sort of ability at their fingertips, they would have been able to ferret out any secret they wished. Given their recent _misfortunes_, it's safe to say that they can't." Despite his words, his tone was more than a little smug and amused.

Mei snorted and relaxed. "That's true enough," she agreed with a smirk.

~Scene Break~

-May 20th, 348 NE-

-Konohagakure-

-12:30 PM-

"Ame Protectorate? What the hell kinda crap is that?" Kiba barked angrily, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "_We're _the ones who were trying to make an alliance with Taki, and _we're _the ones who lost ninja taking out Iwa for what they did to them. Where the fuck does Ame get off just swooping in and- and- doing _this_ crap?"

Kiba's loud words barely penetrated the din of conversation in the Akimichi-owned restaurant. From what Shikamaru could pick out, most of the ninja at the other tables were having similar conversations and shared Kiba's sentiment more often than not.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru sighed. "Ame is obviously angling to replace Iwa as the fifth Great Village," he muttered. "The Land of Rain has been making strong overtures to the Land of Waterfall for months now, ever since Taki was destroyed. In retrospect, we should have seen this coming."

Chouji shook his head. "Maybe you could, Shika, but I've never heard of a ninja village forming a contract like that. I always thought that it was one village per country, and that was it."

"The village system has only been around a century or so, and it's changed quite a few times already," Shikamaru said, resting his forehead on his arms and speaking into the table. "Besides, there were already unspoken arrangements where certain countries send the bulk of their missions to certain villages; Ame's just making it official."

"Well, why don't we just- uh... hey, Hinata," Kiba said awkwardly as he cut off his rant. Chouji cleared his throat awkwardly, and Shikamaru lifted his head off the table to examine Hinata.

The Hyuuga looked better than she had earlier that month – the dark rings around her eyes were mostly gone, and she was no longer wandering around in a daze, barely acknowledging the world around her.

On the other hand, she was far from her old self.

"Chouji, Shikamaru," Hinata greeted them, nodding to each in turn. Her eyes swept over Kiba for a moment before moving on, and she acknowledged neither his words or his presence.

"Why don't you join us, Hinata?" Chouji offered, going so far as to stand and pull out a chair before motioning her to sit.

"Thank you, Chouji," she replied, bowing slightly, "but I do not have time. I must return to my training."

"Uh, Hinata," Kiba started, shifting nervously. "Look, about what I said about Ino... I didn't- I mean, I'm sure she's-"

Hinata finally focused on Kiba, her expression growing cold. "You have made your opinion quite clear, Inuzuka-san. If you wish to believe her dead and Naruto a coward, that is your right."

Kiba winced. "Hinata, I didn't mean it like- I _said _I was sorry. It's just, I lost two cousins when that jinchuuriki attacked, and-"

Hinata's expression grew even colder as she interrupted him. "That does not mean I wish to hear your opinion again, Inuzuka-san," she said, her posture stiffly formal. "The only reason Naruto could have possibly had to abandon his duties was to protect Ino. When they return to the village, I am sure that both of them will be more than happy to listen to your opinion then."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the restaurant, not sparing them another glance.

Shikamaru sighed as he watched her go. When word had come down that the entire outpost had been obliterated and everyone there lost, they had all assumed that meant Ino as well. The only bit of hope they had had come over a week later, when Ino had been officially listed as missing-in-action, a stark contrast to the killed-in-action of every other ninja posted there.

Then there was the situation with Naruto to consider. Shikamaru was still trying to wrap his head around that one, even if he _hoped _that Hinata had the right of it and that Naruto and Ino would come strolling into Konoha any day now, some amazing tale of subterfuge and death-defying escapes at the ready. Even the reward for any information regarding Naruto's whereabouts gave him hope, even as he wondered when that would turn into a full-fledged Bingo Book entry.

No, what worried Shikamaru the most was the timing. He couldn't find a single explanation for how Naruto could have possibly known about Ino's situation, nor could he explain how Ino could have managed to escape where so many other, more skilled ninja failed, or why she would hide rather than make contact with allied ninja, or how she found Naruto or Naruto found her, or how no one else had seen them, or how- Shikamaru sighed; he had a lot of question and precious few answers.

The circumstances surrounding Naruto's disappearance hadn't looked particularly good in the beginning, either. Several ninja posted at his position died from wounds consistent with the Rasengan while Naruto himself was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until a team of Inuzuka tracked his scent and found a significant amount of his blood that suspicion was shifted away from him and onto enemy action.

They'd found some other things at that location as well, but not even his best attempts to pry the information from his Dad had revealed just what those things were. All he knew was the end result: Naruto was not yet listed as a missing-nin and Ino's state was "unknown" rather than dead.

In some ways, it might have been kinder to let Hinata think they were dead. As it was she had become obsessed with the idea of finding them herself and was spending almost all of her time training to that end. Her teacher seemed to be helping her every step of the way, though Shikamaru _hoped _that was simply to guide her and make sure she didn't take it too far while acting as a sympathetic ear. After hearing about the fate of Hatake-san's own genin team, he wasn't so sure.

And Kiba, being his usual brash and impulsive self, had said just the wrong thing at just the wrong time to just the wrong person. The Inuzuka clan had just finished the funeral rites for five of their own – two of which were Kiba's cousins, both close to his own age, who had been posted in the same doomed outpost as Ino – when Kiba had overheard Hinata say something about Ino and Naruto coming back.

"_Dammit, Hinata!" Kiba scowled as he wiped his tears away. "She's gone, just like everyone else who was there with her! If Naruto hadn't run away, he'd be telling you the same thing! The only thing we can do is-"_

Whatever he was going to say after that was lost as Hinata attacked him, giving him a broken nose and a black eye and earning herself a sharp reprimand from both her Chuunin Commander and Hatake-san. She was lucky she hadn't done any more damage, or it would have been much worse for her.

Shikamaru sighed, lowering his head back to the table. Troublesome just didn't seem enough anymore.

~Scene Break~

-May 21st, 348 NE-

-Hokage's Office-

-4:00 PM-

"The information placing him in the Land of Lightning was also a false lead," Shikaku sighed. "Although with the two jinchuuriki there, it would work towards his goal to head in that direction."

"It also would have made sense for him to pursue Akatsuki, or to make contact with Gaara," Sarutobi countered, "neither of which have happened."

"Not entirely," Inoichi disagreed. "We know that he was concerned with the type of seals used; that's why he was so focused on helping Gaara and pursuing Fuu. Setting aside the more damning explanations for his lack of contact with Gaara, he at least knows that the One-Tailed is not coming to further harm. The same could be said for Akatsuki, since there was no indication that Fuu's seal was like Gaara's, or that the other jinchuuriki were similarly distressed.

"Killing the Four-Tailed jinchuuriki also limits Akatsuki's threat level, since it will be years before the new jinchuuriki is a viable threat. That leaves four jinchuuriki that, as far as we know, he has yet to encounter. Two of them are known to be in Kumo, one in Akatsuki's grasp, and the last _speculated _to also be under their control, but not confirmed," Inoichi summed up.

"Hence, Kumo," Sarutobi said with a nod. "I wasn't arguing against that possibility. We just need to keep in mind that there are multiple directions for his goals to take him. We still don't have a solid plan for when we _do _locate him, either."

Shikaku sighed, running a tired hand through his hair. "That's the troublesome part. He didn't exactly leave Konoha on the best of terms, but he hasn't been outright hostile, either. It's in our best interests to ensure that he remains at least neutral in regards to the village since he possesses a great deal of information that could be used to hurt us. Not to mention there are certain... personal issues that we would like resolved," he added delicately, shooting a glance towards Inoichi. Inoichi's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything.

Sarutobi opened his mouth to say something, but his words were abruptly cut off as he began coughing, the fit lasting for several seconds before he got himself under control. Shikaku and Inoichi exchanged pained glances at the reminder of the former Hokage's deteriorating health.

"You already know who to send," Sarutobi said carefully, a small grimace on his face as he wiped his mouth with a cloth and rubbed at his chest. "Why are you hesitating?"

"I can't send just those two, even if they'd agree to go in a heartbeat. It needs to be a proper tracking team, one with enough speed and power to make it out of enemy territory if it comes to that." Shikaku hesitated a moment, then added. "And because I don't know if it's worth even trying. The odds of the Bijuu actually feeling enough attachment to the village or the ninja we send to meet him seem... slim."

"I see," Sarutobi said, nodding thoughtfully. "I think you're right, but I also think you're forgetting an important factor; given our understanding of Kuushou, he wouldn't have bothered to send a message to Inoichi either."

"You're talking about Ino," Inoichi ground out, a guarded expression on his face.

"I am," the former Hokage said. "For all that she hid vital information from us to protect Naruto, we must also acknowledge that some of his actions only make sense if he were concerned about Ino's reaction, or was even directly influenced by her. The message letting us know she was still alive and in his care is but one example of that."

"Or he could be holding her hostage," Inoichi growled.

"To what end?" Shikaku asked. "Besides, 'Ichi, you were the first one to point out his obsession with fami-"

"Don't!" Inoichi snarled, his face twisting angrily. He immediately shut his eyes, holding up a hand in apology as he slowly got himself under control. "Just... don't."

Shikaku sighed, but dropped that line of conversation. "We still need to talk about Suna," he said instead. "Ame's deal with the Land of Waterfalls puts us in a difficult position, since the direct routes now technically pass through another village's land. It's at least two days to go around, both ways, which will cause significant delays with some of our work with Suna.

"I've sent messengers to Ame to sound them out on rights of passage, but so far there's been no reply. The Land of Waterfalls has been similarly silent on the topic of why they entered into such an agreement with Ame instead of Konoha or Suna or both.

"The Wind Lord has also been making threatening demands towards the Land of Earth; he isn't taking the loss of his ninja village well. Then again, with recent events he is in no position to back those threats up."

Sarutobi snorted. "He was doing everything he could to drive Suna out of existence. He can hardly act surprised when they decide to abandon him first, especially when the Earth Lord offered them a king's ransom to do it." He shook his head. "That said, Baki still hasn't revealed just how they found proof that the Wind Lord was actively sabotaging his own ninja force.

"I'd suspected the 'financial troubles' the Land of Wind was experiencing were overstated, of course, but to actually prove that the Wind Lord was intentionally driving large sections of his own country into poverty, and to do it blatantly enough that he couldn't just sweep it aside, was a masterstroke."

Shikaku nodded. "Baki's being unusually cagey about that. I suspect that he may have intelligence resources still in play within the capital that he wants to protect as much as possible. It makes the most sense, at least. As for the proof itself... even Kiri and Kumo have agreed to blacklist the Land of Wind after _that. _No village trusts him to respect their ninja after hearing everything he pulled on his _own _village, and the rapidly brewing civil war just adds all the more reason to stay away. Now that he no longer has ninja to quietly eliminate opposition, we're projecting that he'll be deposed – and likely dead – within the year."

"How is the reconstruction of Iwagakure coming?" Sarutobi asked, shifting the conversation back to the original topic.

"Much faster than projected. Which in itself is a good thing, but the _reason _for it... concerns me."

Inoichi looked up at that. "How so?"

"Gaara," Shikaku replied tersely. "He's accomplishing tasks by himself in hours that would take whole teams of ninja days or weeks to accomplish, and all reports indicate that he's getting _better_."

"And you think it's the Bijuu," Inoichi guessed.

"It almost has to be. Prior to the Chuunin Exams – in fact, in the entire history of Suna's jinchuuriki – none of them ever showed anything beyond the ability to freely manipulate sand. Now, over the course of a couple of years, he's progressed to reshaping mountains? It's far too fast to be accomplished solely on his own."

"And there's still been no sign of Naruto contacting him? Or even appearing in the area?" Sarutobi asked curiously.

"None."

"Has Jiraiya-sama checked his seal to make sure it hasn't been tampered with?" Inoichi asked.

"Not within the last few months," Shikaku replied. "Jiraiya's been trying to round up information on Akatsuki as quickly as possible, and Gaara's been working on Iwagakure full time from the moment the ink dried on Suna's new contract." He snorted wryly. "They're still arguing about the new name, since Sunagakure no longer applies and nobody wants this to just be the second coming of Iwa. Last I heard they were leaning towards Tsuchigakure."

"Has Jiraiya-kun found anything yet?" Sarutobi asked.

Shikaku shrugged. "Yes and no. He's confirmed that Deidara of Iwa and Kisame Hoshigaki are members, but Kisame recently dropped out of sight after entering the Land of Grass and Deidara hasn't been seen since he attacked Gaara during the invasion. Jiraiya hasn't been able to come up with anything about the other members, their numbers, or even where they operate from.

"On the other hand," Shikaku continued, "his last report mentioned that he'd come across a stash of information concerning Akatsuki's original group, including their observations of battling the various Bijuu when they were free. The records are incomplete, but he is going to compile what information he can get and include that in his next report. In theory, that will better prepare us to face any jinchuuriki we encounter."

"Or Naruto," Inoichi added quietly.

Shikaku sighed and nodded. "Or him."

~Scene Break~

-June 1st, 348 NE-

-Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office-

-11:00 AM-

"He wants what?" Mei asked flatly, her voice filled with disbelief.

"He wants to take a mission, Mizukage-sama," the ANBU replied stiffly.

"And did he say _why_?"

"Not directly, Mizukage-sama. He strongly implied that he wished to procure additional funds, however."

Mei sighed and rubbed her forehead, trying to fight off the impending headache. Kuushou's presence had been a great boon to her village in many ways - the hospital was practically empty for the first time she could ever remember, for one thing, and she had three ninja who would be mastering the Rasengan within the month - but some of his quirks were starting to wear on her.

To start with, the Bijuu and the Yamanaka girl were consuming nearly ten pounds of food _every day_, an amount that outstripped even the most physically active of her ninja by a considerable margin. There was absolutely no explanation for it, and neither of them showed any signs of gaining the weight or muscle mass they should have.

As if that weren't odd enough, there was the Yamanaka girl's constant training to consider; if she wasn't squirreled away in the basement of the house, she was outside in her Uma mask challenging anyone and everyone to a spar or, barring that, engaging in a physical training routine that would drive most of her ninja into the ground.

Mei had pulled the reports about the girl from the recent Chuunin exams and compared it to what she was seeing now. There were some startling changes, not least of which was that her chakra control was struggling to maintain B-rank, down from a solid A, while her reserves had shot through the roof to border on S. Even assuming she had trained every moment since the Exams like she was training now, the difference was just too pronounced.

And now the Bijuu who had point blank refused to even consider acting as a ninja in any capacity wanted to take a mission.

Mei shook off her musings and motioned to her ANBU. "Bring Naruto here," she commanded.

~Scene Break~

-Same Day-

-Mizukage's Office-

-12:00 PM-

"It's a perfectly reasonable request," Kuushou said, leaning back in his chair. "I hardly see how there's a downside for you, since you'll get the standard mission fee when we complete the mission."

"I'm more curious about your sudden change of heart," Mei shot back. "Not to mention the fact that you will be acting as a Kiri-nin during the mission, which could be used in a number of ways to damage my village's reputation. Without understanding why you want to do this, I'm inclined to refuse."

Kuushou nodded as if he had expected that all along. "To be frank, while we could use the money to shore up our funds, it's the experience than I'm after. Ino and I can only go so far in spars, and we need to face ninja in the village to truly be certain that we are prepared for what is to come."

"And just what would that be? Is there a threat to Kiri that you haven't revealed til now?"

Kuushou blinked at her for a moment, then smirked. "I was speaking of our eventual confrontation with Akatsuki. Given Ino's connection with myself, it is inevitable that she will become involved; I merely wish to make sure that she emerges from that event victorious."

"_Victorious_," Mei repeated incredulously. "You honestly think that a girl who hasn't even been an active ninja for two years is going to win against the host of S-rank ninja Akatsuki has in their ranks."

"Well, not _yet_, obviously," Kuushou replied, that damn smirk growing wider.

Mei closed her eyes for a moment, refraining from rubbing her temples or otherwise indicating her annoyance with the situation.

"And just what type of mission were you intending to take, then?" she asked after a few moments.

"Missing-nin elimination. As I recall, the Land of Water's many isolated islands are a favored hiding place for missing-nin."

Mei studied the Bijuu for a moment, wondering if he was angling for something by taking the conversation in this direction. "There are islands that have no civilian population and are generally left alone, that is true. We hardly _allow _missing-nin to remain unmolested, however."

"Which all but admits that there are likely missing-nin to be found, if one were to go looking for them."

"_Assuming _I agreed to let you take such a mission, how do you plan to complete it?" Mei pressed.

"Ino and myself will go out, locate missing-nin, kill them, and return to collect their bounties. Simple."

Mei immediately shook her head. "At the very least I expect two Kiri-nin to round out your squad. I'm not going to have unaffiliated ninja operating on their own within my lands." Seeing him about to protest, she raised her hand to silence him. "That is _not _negotiable."

A frown crossed his face, then he nodded. "Very well, we can live with that. I will not be under their command, however; they will be observers, nothing more."

"And I can live with that," Mei returned. She fell silent, tapping her fingernails rhythmically on her desk as she considered the Bijuu's proposition. "In exchange for five percent less of the mission fee, Kiri also gets first rights to any scrolls, equipment, or other items carried by any missing-nin you eliminate. The squad leader assigned to you will make the determination in the field."

Kuushou thought for a moment, then replied, "Ten percent."

"Seven."

"Eight."

"Done," Mei said. "I will have someone bring you the latest copy of the Bingo Book, and a squad will meet you tomorrow morning to begin the mission."

~Scene Break~

-June 2nd, 348 NE-

-Kumogakure, Market Square-

-12:00 PM-

"And lo, the Sacred Flame did descend from the Heavens to smite those that threatened the sanctity of our newly founded village! With flames of purest white, as white and pure as snow upon the highest mountain top, was evil cleansed from the land!"

"Ugh, don't they ever get tired of spouting this crap?" she heard a ninja mutter on her right. She kept her gaze focused on the edges of the crowd that had gathered below, doing her best to focus on her job and filter out the words coming from the group of cultists gathered to the side of one of the central market squares in Kumogakure. The other citizens were going about their business while giving them wide berth, most not even sparing them a glance.

"And lo, the villagers did cry out as one, giving praise and thanks to the mighty being who had saved our very _souls _from the perfidy of evil! They cried out, saying, 'Oh Sacred One, She Whose Fire Shall Burn Eternal, we pray to bask in the warmth of your protection from this day forward!

"And lo, did the Sacred Flame hear our righteous plea! With the Twin Flames did She mark the very boundaries of our village! And then She spake, saying, 'Whosoever dwelleth within the heart of these flames shall fear no evil, for should any seek to harm those under My protection, they shall be burnt unto ash ere the first blow doth fall!"

"So Sayeth The Flame," the small crowd chanted in unison.

She was unable to fully suppress her shiver at those words. Once, long ago, she thought they were the most wonderful words in the world, spoken by the nicest people she'd ever met.

"And the Sacred Flame spake further, saying, 'Let not those within my embrace stray from the Way of the Flame. Let it be that ye shall never raise a hand against thy brethren, for no higher crime doth exist in My sight!"

"So Sayeth The Flame."

They always smiled at her, played with her, gave her little gifts whenever they saw her on the street. Not a day went by when she didn't meet one of them, and she quickly found herself looking forward to meeting them.

"And the Sacred Flame spake further, saying, 'To those within My embrace shall I grant a Guardian, My Brother, and in each of his eight arms shall be a shield against the arrows of thine enemies and a sword to strike fear into the hearts of thine foes, and he shall watch over thee all of thine days'."

"So Sayeth The Flame."

And then, when she was nine, she'd found out what they _really _saw then they looked at her.

"And the Sacred Flame spake further, saying, 'And to light thine way when darkness doth shroud the land, I shall choose a Holy Vessel, who shall nurture My Fire within her heart as a babe is nurtured within the womb, until at last I return to thee."

"So Sayeth The Flame."

The so-called sermon abruptly diverged into new territory, and all of the ninja observing the gathering from various points around the square were suddenly paying a great deal more attention.

"Rejoice, my brethren! The time of the Sacred Flame's return is at hand! The Holy Brethren stir upon the land, and even now men tremble at their works! Iwa, the rock that sought to crush our spirits, has been laid low at their hand! Konoha, the tree that sought to shroud us in shadow, has been burned low by the faintest shadow of Her Flame and now trembles at the slightest breeze! Suna, who sought to drag us into the depths, have fled before the merest mention of Her wrath!

"And Kiri, abandoned by their own Guardian as unworthy, will soon drown under the weight of their own sins! And then, at long last, shall the Holy Vessel bear forth the Sacred Flame once more, and then shall we bask in the comforting warmth of Her Flame forever after!"

"So Sayeth The Flame!" the crowd chanted with significantly more enthusiasm.

One of the nearby ninja turned to her from his position on the roof, a wry smirk on his face. "Congratulations, Yugito!" he said sarcastically. "It's a demon!"

~ End Chapter ~

**A/N: Needless to say, they have a _slightly _distorted view on events.  
**

**Not a whole lot of action, still, but a glimpse into the shifting landscape of the Elemental Nations and some insight as to how people are dealing with Ino and Naruto's abrupt departure. Virtual cookies to the first one who figures out just what went down with Suna and the Wind Lord; it'll become obvious next chapter, though.**

**And no, I haven't forgotten about Tsunade and Kushina.  
**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	54. Pulling Strings

-June 4th, 348 NE-

-A Small Outpost In The Land of Whirlpools-

Tsunade let out a sigh of relief as she closed and sealed the door behind her. She'd had to travel very quickly to respond to Jiraiya's urgent message, and the multiple days of constant travel had worn even her down. It felt good to be back so she could sleep in her own bed for once.

"Kushina!" she called out, her voice echoing through the small complex of hallways and rooms that had somehow become her home over the last few years. "I'm back!"

She began methodically stripping off her disguise, welcoming the touch of the cool air that filled the outpost. As she did so, she allowed her mind to drift back to what Jiraiya had told her.

~ Scene Break ~

_-May 24__th__, 348 NE-_

_-Southern Part of The Land of Fire-_

_Tsunade hissed in sympathy as she saw the terrible state of the man's arm. She could see the signs of extensive work that had already been performed, but the skin was still ruptured in more places than not, and by the way the arm hung she could tell there were several breaks in the humerus, radius, and ulna as well. Her gaze trailed down to what used to be a hand and winced further._

"_I'm surprised you didn't amputate it outright," she muttered, shaking her head. "Did your med-nin think they could actually fix this much damage?"_

_The red-haired man shook his head, his dark brown eyes staring fixedly into the distance. "She insisted on making the effort. It wasn't until Jiraiya-sama came upon us that we held any true hope, however."_

_Tsunade nodded silently, more focused on her scans than the man's reply. The information she was getting was... odd, to say the least. _

"_And how exactly did this happen?" she asked. _

"_An accident while attempting an experimental ninjutsu," he said, a little shamefaced. "I thought it was safe, but..."_

"_Must have been a powerful technique," Tsunade said musingly. "It looks like something ripped your arm apart from the inside."_

_The man remained silent, and Jiraiya finally decided to enter the conversation. "Can you fix him?"_

_Tsunade didn't answer immediately, her eyes narrowed in thought. "This is going to take a lot of work to fix, and I'm not making any guarantees. I'm one of the few med-nin in the world who would even have a chance at restoring functionality to your arm at this point, and even then I doubt it will ever be fully functional again."_

"_What is your expected outcome?" the man asked calmly._

_Tsunade made note of his poise even as she answered his question. "Seventy-five percent mobility, maybe fifty percent in terms of power. Your chakra network is another matter entirely; I don't think you'll ever be able to channel chakra through that arm properly ever again."_

_That got a reaction, though it was limited to a tightening around his eyes and a slight tenseness in his body._

"_Is there anything you could do to increase that? To be honest, I am more concerned about the chakra network than I am the physical capabilities of the arm."_

_Tsunade activated her Mystic Palm technique again, running another diagnostic to assess the damage in greater detail. She worked for several minutes, and both her patient and Jiraiya remained silent as she worked. _

_Finally, she looked up and sighed. "Possibly. I'm hesitant to perform the procedure by myself, and to be blunt Jiraiya doesn't have the skill to assist me for most of it. If my apprentice, or maybe even her apprentice, were present it might be a different story, but we don't have time to track them down."_

"_What happens if you fail?" Jiraiya asked._

"_I'd screw up the arm even further, possibly beyond repair."_

"_But my life would not be in further danger?" the man asked intently._

"_No."_

"_Then do what you must. If the chakra network cannot be repaired, there is little point in keeping a crippled arm. Should you fail I will simply have to seek out other options."_

_Tsunade shrugged and nodded. "It's your call," she replied. "Unless there's anything else, I'd prefer to get started now."_

_The surgery ended up taking over two days, split into several sessions. Despite her earlier remarks Jiraiya did prove to be quite useful as an assistant, though she missed the smooth teamwork she and Shizune had developed over the years._

_Once everything was finally completed, she left her patient to recover from the surgery while she and Jiraiya moved outside to talk._

"_So how did it go?" Jiraiya asked. "Did you manage to fix the chakra network in his arm?"_

"_As best I could, yes," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed. "Now you want to tell me what _really _happened to his arm?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Don't try to bullshit me about medical matters, Jiraiya. That was not the type of damage caused by an overloaded technique; it looked a lot more like someone tried to turn his arm inside out and then bathed it in acid. The damage was also spread to evenly along his arm, not concentrated around his tenketsu._

"_Now tell me what _really _happened, and while you're at it, since when have you been in contact with those orphans from Ame?"_

_Jiraiya started, turning to look at her with a surprised expression. _

"_Please, pervert, I'm not blind. It took me a while to place him, but the contact lenses gave him away. Someone you know, about twenty years younger, with red hair that color and eyes that they need to hide? It wasn't that hard."_

"_That's my hime," he said, a wide smile on his face. "I only found him a few weeks ago, actually. I stumbled across him and his wife while they were holed up, trying to recover from his accident. As for what really happened, you know everything about that I do."_

"_Fine," she muttered, crossed her arms. "What's the latest word on Naruto?"_

_The smile dropped from his face and she felt a ball of worry form in her gut._

"_Yeah... it's still being kept quiet for now, but..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's missing."_

_Tsunade reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt, hauling him closer and holding him off the ground as he yelped indignantly. "What do you mean, 'missing'?" she growled. _

"_Just that," Jiraiya sighed. "Something happened during the invasion of Iwagakure, and both he and Ino Yamanaka haven't been sighted since then. We have reason to believe that both are still alive, but nothing more than that."_

_He was staring her in the eyes as if to convey his sincerity. She held his gaze for several seconds, but his eyes never wavered. Which, ironically, was how she knew he was holding something back. He always tried too hard not to look at her cleavage when he was hiding something; he still hadn't figured that out, it seemed._

"_That's not all, is it?" she asked as she lowered him to the ground. _

_He sighed again, then nodded. "Something happened to Naruto that day. We only have the evidence left behind, but we're all concerned that his seal might have become damaged."_

_Tsunade swallowed thickly. "Meaning what?"_

_Jiraiya looked at her again, a pained expression on his face. "Meaning that Naruto may not be entirely himself, anymore. We won't know for certain until we can find him, but the longer he stays missing the worse it looks. We all hope it's nothing, or at least something small and temporary, but we have to be prepared for the worst."_

"_That's..."_

"_Don't start, Tsu-hime!" Jiraiya snapped, his tone unusually harsh. "Don't think I haven't gone over this in my head a dozen times over! No one wants Naruto to still be Naruto more than me, but we have to face reality. Next time we see him, he might not be Minato and Kushina's son anymore. Why else would he stay away from Konoha without so much as a message? Either he's been captured or worse, or he doesn't_ want _to come back._"

_Tsunade's shoulders slumped as she admitted to herself that the pervert had a point. _

"_Has he... are they going to put him in the Bingo Book?" _

"_No," Jiraiya replied as he calmed down. "Konoha has decided to issue a reward for information that leads to his safe return to Konoha, but that's all."_

"_Thank Kami for that," Tsunade muttered._

"_Tsu-hime," Jiraiya said seriously, "you'll need to deal with Kushina once she finds out. I leave it up to your judgment about how much to tell her, but if she encounters Naruto and he really isn't himself, she could be in grave danger. The best thing for everyone would probably be to keep her well clear of it until we know more, one way or the other."_

~ Scene Break ~_  
_

Tsunade steeled her resolve as she moved deeper into the outpost. This was going to be an unpleasant conversation all around, but she'd long since gotten used to talking Kushina down from acting rashly where Naruto was concerned. The two of them would likely begin searching through the Elemental Nations for any sign of him, but as long as she was there she could keep Kushina from doing anything too reckless.

"Kushina," she called out again. "I've got some news you'll want to hear." She stepped into the training room where Kushina spent most of her time, only to find it empty. The same was true of her bedroom, the kitchen, and the library. It wasn't until she found the stack of recent bounty posters dropped on the floor in the library that she understood where Kushina had gone.

_Name: Naruto Yamanaka_

_Description: Blond hair, purple eyes, 3 lines on each cheek, 5' 6" tall, ~14 years old_

_Rank: AA_

_Former Affiliation: Konoha_

_Known Abilities: Medical jutsu, high chakra capacity, commonly uses earth and water techniques, close-range combatant_

_Reward: 20,000,000 ryo_

_Condition: Dead or Alive_

_Last sighting: Ikazuchi-mura, Land of Lightning_

The poster featured a startlingly accurate drawing of Naruto's face and profile and ended with contact information for the organization handling the bounty. She recognized it as one they had used several times themselves, as they weren't officially connected with any of the ninja villages and were more than willing to work with independents who knew how to be discreet.

"Fuck!"

—

-June 5th, 348 NE-

-Land of Wind-

Sasori methodically sorted through the numerous reports he had received from his many and varied sources, carefully examining each one for any useful bits of information. His current focus was on the defection of Suna and the fall of the Wind Lord, an event that was creating shock waves throughout the Elemental Nation's political landscape.

The Land of Wind itself had rapidly dissolved into chaos following the assassination of the Wind Lord less than a month after the revelations about his callous disregard for the well-being of his people and the rampant corruption that had spread throughout his government. The other nations were quick to decry his perfidy and hold up their own benevolent rule as a shining example of how a true noble should behave.

Or how not to get caught, anyway, he thought to himself in amusement.

The Land of Earth, on the other hand, had quickly managed to right itself following the destruction of its ninja village. Iwa's loss should have severely weakened their position, relegating them to the status of a lesser nation like the Land of Hot Water or the Land of Birds. Instead, with the acquisition of Suna's ninja force and its jinchuuriki, Earth had managed to retain its status as a major player in politics.

Sasori took note of a small missive from one of his more effective operatives in Suna, who sent word that the jinchuuriki was showing increasing skill with his powers and had, so far, still refrained from killing any allies. He had his own theories as to why that might be, though he so far lacked any agents that were directly involved with the jinchuuriki.

Another agent sent word that the conflict for the title of Wind Lord was swiftly drawing to a close as Madarame Urahisa leveraged his massive shipping fleet to control Wind's valuable ports, ruthlessly wielding his economic might to cripple his opposition as necessary. His enemies had swiftly found themselves bankrupted or without resources as he diverted shipments and trade to people favorable to his cause. He had also formed a pact with Tomoaki Kon, a powerful noble and military leader who possessed a significant land-based force, that would ensure his control over the inland areas of the Land of Wind as well.

He nodded in satisfaction. He had agents planted deeply within both of those groups, ensuring that his information network would grow even stronger once they took control of the nation. It would be a trivial matter to insert himself into the process when their plans inevitably turned to the rebirth of Sunagakure.

A small frown crossed his face as he reflected on the loss of his birth village. His original plans had called for Suna to revolt against the Wind Lord as the stress of the village's crippled economy and the Wind Lord's constant condescension and antagonism grew to be too much. A few key assassinations and a touch of blackmail would have shifted the power in the court greatly, resulting in Suna becoming the power behind the throne with himself as the one pulling the strings for both.

The loss of the Kazekage had tangled his plans beyond repair. His mind-control seals were delicate creations that required his personal adjustment on a regular basis, and he simply couldn't afford to place them on too many people at once. Left unattended, the bearer's behavior would grow more and more erratic as their mind tore itself apart under the strain. He preferred to use more indirect methods whenever possible, but a prize such as the Kage of a village was not to be ignored.

Without the Kazekage, his influence within Suna diminished greatly. He still had seals on two councilors, one of whom had lost a great deal of influence because of his opposition to Baki, and the other of whom was well into his old age and unlikely to last more than a year or two. The more ordinary traitors and spies willing to sell out their village were not as highly placed, though they could prove of use as he selected new targets for his seals.

Unwilling to simply accept such a major setback, he had changed course and set his agents to sowing dissent within the Land of Wind. One set of carefully forged documents and a carefully timed crisis later, the way had been cleared for the Land of Wind to acquire a new ruler and, soon, a new village that he would be carefully guiding. It would be decades before they could compete with the Great Five, but the benefits of molding the village to his desires from the very start would be well worth the delay.

Sasori pulled out another report, this one regarding the newly formed Ame Protectorate. This, far more than the loss of a Kage or the delay in his plans, was an actual threat. He knew very well who truly ruled in the shadows of Ame, and their plans were simply unacceptable. Left unopposed they might very well achieve their aims, as they already had control of three jinchuuriki and would soon regain their fourth.

His efforts to delay Kisame Hoshigaki in his quest had cost him several agents in Grass and Sound and had proven to be only moderately effective. That confrontation was coming soon, and while he was unsure who would emerge victorious in a true battle to the death, he fully expected Orochimaru would choose to slip away like a snake in the grass rather than see the battle to its conclusion.

Should Akatsuki recover from their recent losses, they would likely turn on Suna next to take control of the Ichibi. Without Konoha to support Suna, it was likely they would be successful in their endeavor. From there, it was a question of whether they would prioritize finding the missing Sanbi and Kyuubi or focus on Kumo for the Nibi and Hachibi. Given their newly aggressive stance, he felt that Kumo was likely to be targeted. Not only were there two confirmed jinchuuriki present, but destroying Kumo would further the influence of the Ame Protectorate as well.

Judging by the progress of their "Guardians," it would take less than a decade before the newly created jinchuuriki would be ready to take the field. At that point they would be essentially unstoppable, and more than capable of accomplishing their goal of uniting the Elemental Nations under their banner.

Completely unacceptable.

Not that he cared for the current nations or villages, or about the loss of life that would result from the destruction of the other village. No, Akatsuki's plan would ultimately deny him the one thing he truly cared about: the chance to improve his art.

Without the constant friction of the Five Great Villages sniping at each other, the skills and abilities of ninja would gradually decline, depriving him of valuable materials and opportunities to test his work. Even worse, the lynchpin of Akatsuki's plan were the jinchuuriki, whose powers relied on the demons they housed and were utterly useless for his own art.

Completely, utterly _unacceptable._

He rose and stalked from the room, his irritation spilling over into his control over the puppet that housed his heart. He made his way down the hall and entered his lab, throwing the door open with more force than necessary.

"Quiet down, fucker! I was praying to Jashin to restore my body so I could fucking rip your prissy piece of shit face off with my bare hands, asshole! Have some respect!"

Sasori allowed his irritation to slide away as he focused on the voice. The bodiless head was secured on a shelf surrounded by a series of sealing arrays that were constantly monitoring its condition. It had been over a month since it had been delivered to him, but it showed no signs of decay or even loss of energy.

He calmly walked over and observed the various scrolls that were recording information about the detached head. They merely confirmed what his eyes told him; there was absolutely no change in its state.

"Are you listening, asshole? When I get my body back I'm going to rip your fucking eyes out and use them for-"

Sasori tuned out the voice with practice ease, turning his attention back to the body that lay stretched out on a nearby table. He had initially despaired over the ruined state of it, fearing that it was beyond repair, but as soon as he began reattaching pieces the body healed on its own, leaving the entire form in pristine condition without any scars or wounds to show for the extensive damage it had suffered.

Chakra strings spread across the room, picking up tools and implements of all shapes and sizes before bringing them to hover over the body. Sasori suppressed a shiver of excitement as he set to work. He might soon have to take the field personally to deal with the changing situation, but first...

He was going to craft a masterpiece.

~ Scene Break ~

-June 6th, 348 NE-

-Land of Water-

"Six targets, two are listed in the Bingo Book as B-rank," Kuushou reported as he returned to the camp. "The rest don't even merit an entry."

Ino nodded, standing and stretching her back as she began to prepare herself for the coming battle. She paused when Kuushou put a hand on her shoulder and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"The one we want is number seven, standing guard on the west side; he's got slicked back brown hair and is wearing two kunai pouches on his left leg."

"Got it," Ino whispered back just as quietly, patting the pouch that contained her sealing scrolls.

Kuushou straightened and turned to look at the Kiri-nin who were waiting patiently around the small camp. "Uma will take the lead," he announced, using the codename for Ino that the Mizukage had decided on, "and I will close in once she gives the signal. I doubt we'll have any trouble, but be prepared to jump in just in case."

Ao shrugged and nodded. "Works for us. I'll be interested to see what the two of you can accomplish out in the field."

A few minutes passed as everyone made their final preparations, and then Ino slipped out of the camp and stealthily made her way to the location Kuushou had described.

There were seven ninja present, two of them standing guard in the trees, one focused on a small fire as he cooked what looked to be a trio of rabbits, and the other four arguing quietly amongst themselves over some sort of scroll.

As Kuushou had indicated, her target was one of the guards, which made everything much easier. It took less than a minute to maneuver into position, and then with practiced ease she activated her Mind Transfer technique and slipped out of her own body to take control of the target's.

Thirty seconds to make sure no one in the camp had noticed anything, forty-five to slip out of sight and then away into the marshy terrain, seven to prepare a delayed activation paralysis tag from her supplies and position the target's body near her own, three to return to her own body just before the tag activated, one to pull a kunai and drive it into the target's heart, and ten to seal the body into a scroll.

She was _henged_ into the appearance of the deceased ninja and back in position guarding the small clearing where his companions were still arguing less than a minute later.

She could feel Kuushou waiting on the east side of the clearing, the feeling of his youki both satisfied and impatient. She pulled a kunai with an explosive tag wrapped around the handle, took careful aim, activated the tag, and launched it at the other guard with all of her strength. She reveled in the feeling of the powerful muscles in her arms tensing and releasing as the weapon blurred across the clearing, traveling far faster than anything she would have been capable of even a few months ago.

The kunai flew true, drilling through the other ninja's back and into the tree in front of him before exploding, shredding both tree and ninja and covering the area with burning debris.

Kuushou entered the clearing a moment later, a swirling ball of chakra in each hand. He lit into the group of four, killing two before they even had a chance to see him coming.

Ino dropped out of the trees and landed beside the cook, who was pulling out a pair of sharp knives and handling them with familiar ease as he abandoned the meal and moved to intercept Kuushou. He spared a glance for her as she landed beside, her own weapons ready and her gaze seemingly fixed on the melee.

"I'll take him from the front," the cook muttered quickly, flipping one knife into a reverse grip. "You get him from behind."

Ino nodded tersely, then waited for the cook to take a step forward before driving a kunai into the back of his neck.

"Nicely done," Kuushou complimented as he approached. His black cloak was covered in blood, and he had several thin lines of it across the mask that covered his face as well. Ino's own cloak and mask were in nearly pristine condition by comparison.

She allowed her _henge _to dispel, meeting Kuushou's gaze with an easy grin. "As if you expected anything less," she countered.

Kuushou chuckled lightly before turning his gaze back to the ninja they had killed, then looking towards the trees. "And how would you rate our field work, _hunter-nin-san_?" he asked, his voice clearly amused.

Ao dropped out of the trees, scanning the area with a calm gaze. "Poor," he said finally. "These were hardly difficult targets, but you damaged the one in the trees too much for a positive identification, eliminating the bounty, and the four you hit with the rasengan won't be much use for the med-nin to examine. Only the last target Uma-san defeated was handled appropriately.

"In my day, a team that came in with only one out of six targets in useable condition would have been sent back to the Academy for remedial training. If you expect to make a lot of money in this manner, I'd say you have a lot of work ahead of you."

Ino stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he was seriously trying to _lecture _them, but Kuushou just started laughing, shaking his head. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he replied, smirking.

~ Scene Break ~

-July 17th, 348 NE-

-Kirigakure, Basement of Kuushou and Ino's Home-

A yellow flash illuminated the basement for a moment, followed quickly by a loud, joyful whoop.

"Finally!" Ino crowed, dancing in place a bit as she raised the hand holding the tri-pronged kunai triumphantly. She turned to face Kuushou, who had looked up from his operating table to watch her with a grin on his face.

"I see you've finally managed the Hiraishin again," he noted.

"As if there was any doubt," Ino scoffed as she walked over to his side, her expression turning more serious. "Does this mean we're ready now?"

"Not quite, but close. The more mastery you have over the Hiraishin, the better, of course, but we also need to get word to Kounori and have Itachi begin his part of the plan."

"What about the Mizukage? Has she bought in yet?"

"Itachi's still working on that, but he's confident that she'll come on board once it's a done deal, even if she isn't happy about it. Kiri has too much to gain to not take advantage of the situation."

Ino suddenly turned and wrapped Kuushou in a tight hug, burying her face in his neck. Kuushou's arms wrapped around her after a few moments, one hand rubbing her back gently.

"I'm going to miss you, little brother," she said quietly, still not moving her head.

His arms tightened around her for a moment. "It will only be for a few weeks at most, Nee-chan," he replied softly. "I promise."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 3rd, 348 NE-

-Kumogakure-

"Holy Vessel-sama," a woman's voice called out quietly. "Please, a moment of your time."

Yugito paused, her fork halfway to her mouth before she slowly and deliberately finished the motion and began chewing thoroughly, her eyes lidded as if all of her attention was on the slice of meat she was in the process of consuming. She focused on her meal in front of her, savoring the bite and letting the glowing sun bathe her form in warmth as she sat at her table outside one of Kumo's more expensive restaurants. This was one of her rare days off, and she had every intention of enjoying it to the fullest.

Still, there was only one type of person that would address her like that, and the slight quaver in the woman's voice and the awe that tinged her words merely served to confirm it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman was clutching a scroll to her chest, her arms - no, her entire body - shaking from barely suppressed tension. Some might have mistaken that as a sign of fear, but Yugito knew better.

She would have _preferred_ fear.

Yugito's first instinct was to simply continue ignoring the woman, to continue eating her meal without acknowledging her words or presence, but usually _they _kept their distance. One of them interrupting her like this was unusual enough to catch her attention.

Yugito placed her chopsticks on the side of her plate, carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin before placing it off to the side, then slowly turned to face the woman who had approached her fully. She was roughly her own age, perhaps a little older, and wore a simple white robe over dark pants. The symbol consisting of two flames twined around each other that was stitched on the breast of her robe marked her as an official priestess for Kumo's very own cult.

Wonderful.

"Make it quick," Yugito snapped. The woman flinched and immediately folded in half as she bowed deeply. Yugito ruthlessly suppressed the twinge of regret she felt at that reaction; honestly, these people would be easier to deal with if they didn't make her feel like she was kicking kittens every time she so much as looked at them crossly.

"Of course, Holy Vessel-sama," the woman said, still bowing. "The High Priest bade me deliver this unto you, that it may guide your path in the coming days," she continued, offering the scroll she was carrying with outstretched hands. Her arms trembled slightly as she held her position, but she made no complaint even as Yugito just continued to stare at her as the seconds wore on.

Finally, Yugito snatched the scroll out of the woman's hands and nodded. "Fine," she said curtly, tucking the scroll into her pocket with every intention of throwing it away later.

"Thank you, Holy Vessel-sama," the woman said, her face beaming as she backed away, giving another bow with each step. She was moving towards two others who were watching the exchange with looks of awe and pride, no doubt more members of that ridiculous cult.

Yugito kept her face impassive as she turned back to her meal, keeping a wary eye on them until she rounded another corner. She'd barely had time to pick up her napkin before another voice interrupted her.

"Yugito-jounin, the Raikage wishes to see you in his office. Immediately," the ANBU messenger added.

Yugito dropped her napkin back on the table and left a few coins to cover her meal before following after the ninja. Interrupted free time or not, it was still better than dealing with _those _people.

~ Scene Break ~

"The Raikage is expecting you," the secretary said shortly, waving her in. Yugito nodded and pushed the door open, her focus entirely on discerning why she had been called in.

She found the Raikage sitting behind his desk, his chin resting on his folded hands as he contemplated the man sitting in one of the guest chairs. Kirabi was leaning against the wall nearby, his head bobbing in time to some beat that only he could hear and his lips moving slightly as he muttered one of his rhymes, though thankfully not clearly enough to be heard.

The guest stood as she entered the room, turning to face her with a small bow. "You must be Yugito-sama," he said, his voice a soothing baritone. His tanned and weathered face showed an easy grin as his eyes met hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," she said politely, moving to stand opposite Kirabi.

"Chiaki-san has a rather interesting proposition for us," the Raikage said, sounding amused. "Now that Yugito is here, why don't you explain it again." It wasn't a request.

"Of course, Raikage-sama," the man said. "As I'm sure you are aware, I am occasionally employed by certain parties when they feel the need to work outside of... official channels, let us say." The man paused, clearing his throat and glancing around the room. "Could I trouble you for a glass of water? No? Very well.

"Regardless, as I was saying, I have been hired to facilitate an arrangement of sorts between yourselves and my client. They have discovered the location of a prominent missing-nin, but feel that they are not the most suitable to capture or eliminate said target. In exchange for half of the bounty, they are willing to provide the location of the target to you so that you may do with him as you see fit."

Yugito began to see why she had been called to this meeting. She was an accomplished hunter-nin, after all, and her status as a jinchuuriki gave her some significant advantages when it came to dealing with the more dangerous missing-nin.

"Just who is this target?" Yugito asked curiously.

"Naruto Yamanaka, Konoha's missing jinchuuriki," the man said calmly, looking her in the eye.

Yugito recalled that the kid had supposedly gone missing during the Battle of Iwa, and Konoha was quietly offering a substantial reward for his return, _alive_. Then word had started to get around about just who this Naruto _really _was, and his value had shot up overnight as other groups issued their own bounties, with quite a few specifying that they had a rather looser regard for his well-being.

She knew for a fact that Kumo was one such group, and highly suspected that Kiri was another.

"If you have his location, then you must have seen him, correct?" she pressed, standing straight as her mind started working. "What was his condition? Who was he with? Was he moving under his own power or as a prisoner? Are the rumors that he lost his mind during the battle true?"

"Am I to understand that you are interested in this arrangement?" the man replied, turning his gaze back to the Raikage.

"Possibly," the Raikage allowed, glancing at Yugito. "We'll need more information before we can commit, of course."

"Excellent," the man said, sounding genuinely pleased. "In that case, I do have _some _details to offer. At the time he was sighted he was traveling alone, under his own power. I cannot speak to the rumors, but based on what I am told he seemed in good health and perfectly sane."

Rather than being reassured, that information actually put Yugito on edge. She shared a glance with Kirabi, who seemed to be following her train of thought as well.

"While he is wandering the land, is he still wearing his headband?" Kirabi asked, his words spoken to a quick rhythm.

Chiaki Konaka frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "I do not recall that being mentioned either way," he said finally.

"Was he attempting to conceal his identity? What kind of clothing was he wearing?" Yugito asked.

The man held up his hands defensively. "I am sorry that I am not able to answer your questions," he said. "I was only provided so much information, and I have shared everything I have already. The rest will depend on your answer and my client's response, although I will be more than happy to convey any questions you have to them."

"Good," the Raikage said firmly. "If your _client _is serious about this, they'll need to give us more than what we have now. Yugito will prepare a list of questions for you, so wait a few hours and you can be on your way. And unless you have a hell of a lot more information than I think you do, your clients had better be prepared to compromise on price as well; half of the bounty is ridiculous."

"Of course," the man said pleasantly, recognizing the dismissal. "I'm sure we will all be able to come to a mutually satisfying arrangement." He stood and bowed deeply before heading for the door. "I thank you for your time and consideration, Raikage-sama, Kirabi-sama, Yugito-sama."

Once the door had closed behind him, the Raikage turned to Yugito. "You've heard the reports from Iwa and what our spies in Konoha have gathered. Do you really think you could take him out?"

Yugito nodded. "Kill him, absolutely. Capture is more uncertain. I can take a team or two for backup, but it will depend on how hard he fights back."

"If this boy is as dangerous as they make him seem, you'd better take the kids from my team," Kirabi said. "They'll be as ready as anyone can be, after all the training they've done with me."

The Raikage nodded in agreement. "Approved, and start planning. I'm going to have this Chiaki followed. He's a relatively new name in the information business and I'd like to know more about who he's in contact with; this could all be a plan by the Mizukage to lure us into a trap. Start planning for that, too."

"Taking out the only competition they have left, huh?" Yugito mused.

The Raikage frowned. "Don't count Konoha and Suna out just yet. They'll be looking to drag us down to their level - this whole thing with Yamanaka could be a trap from their side too."

"And if it's not?"

"Then we'll make sure that their jinchuuriki _stays _missing," the Raikage replied with a dark grin.

~ End Chapter ~

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	55. Bait And Switch

-August 4th, 348 NE-

-Amegakure-

"I'm telling you, Nagato, there's something _wrong _with him."

"And what would you have me do? He has done nothing to harm us and much to help us. He's already made extensive improvements to the seals, even modifying Fuu's where we were unable to. And then there's the fact that convinced Tsunade to heal my arm. I can hardly claim to doubt his intentions now. I'm surprised you still doubt, actually."

"I _know _that," Konan scowled, turning to pace back and forth across the room. "And I don't doubt him, not really, not anymore. But… does he really seem like Sensei to you? Doesn't he strike you as a little… odd?"

Nagato's lips twitched. "This _is_ Sensei we're talking about."

"_Dammit_, Nagato, I'm serious!" she snapped. "You spent just as much time with Sensei as I did. Can you honestly tell me that he's the same man you remember?"

His smile faded and he shook his head. "No, he's not. He's only recently had the truth of the Kyuubi thrown into his face, however, and it has been many years since we last saw him. People can change."

"I've had him watched, you know," Konan said seriously, her face grave. "I wasn't entirely convinced about his reasons for wanting to get so close to Kyoko and Yahiko at the time, so I made sure I knew where he was and what he was doing at all times."

"And?"

"He hasn't put one foot out of line the whole time. He barely leaves his workshop as it is, and even then it's usually to work on the seals for one of the children."

"Well then why are you-"

"He hasn't even _tried _to go near the bathhouse, or the hot springs, or any of the brothels. Not _once_. Does _that _sound like Sensei?"

Nagato was silent for several seconds, then slowly shook his head. "… No. No, it doesn't."

"I'm worried, Nagato," Konan said as she stepped closer to him, slowly wrapping her arms around him. "He's completely obsessed with the defeating the Bijuu, far more than we are - he refers to them as 'The Enemy', even. I have no desire to see those things roaming around free, but even Akatsuki doesn't loathe them the way he seems to. I'm worried about just how far he's willing to go, and whether his aims are truly the same as ours."

He returned her embrace, his eyes thoughtful. "I'll keep my eyes open," he promised.

~ Scene Break ~

-August 9th, 348 NE-

-Amegakure-

"You wanted to see us, Leader-sama?" Fuu asked. She was standing in front of his desk with Deidara at her side, torn between curiosity and concern at the abrupt summons they had received.

Nagato - though she was careful to always refer to him as Leader-sama whenever she spoke out loud - was standing in front of the large window that dominated the wall behind his desk. The view of the city of Amegakure was stunning, though Fuu much preferred the view she had when flying high above the city under the power of her own wings or riding on one of Deidara's birds. She could feel Deidara shifting on his feet; he was standing close enough that his arm brushed against hers as he moved, and she was certain he was doing it intentionally to try and reassure her.

They both turned when the door opened and Konan walked in wearing her red and black cloak and the straw hat that members of Akatsuki wore when traveling. She had two more hats in her hand, and handed one to each of them as she passed them to stand next to Nagato. The blue-haired woman leaned into her husband and spoke quietly into his ear. He nodded in reply, then turned to face the two of them.

"We have received word that the Kyuubi has been spotted."

Fuu repressed a shiver at the reminder of the young boy she had met what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had known something was off about him, but to think that he was actually one of the tailed beasts - no, the Bijuu, she reminded herself - still shocked her. The blond boy, for all that he disturbed her, had seemed so human at the time. She had even found herself tempted at times by his attempts at drawing her towards Konoha, the image of a village that would welcome her presence and not hold her status against her. She wondered just why he had bothered, though, when he had left the village himself less than a year afterward. Had he planned to take her with him?

The realization that the Bijuu were capable of communicating on human terms, that they could actually think at all, had been a difficult to accept at first. All she'd known about them during her time in Taki had been the legends passed down through the village about the time before they were first captured, and most of those boiled down to a list of villages and cities that had been destroyed and the hundreds and thousands of people each had killed. Their capture was commonly regarded as one of the greatest acts the ninja had performed for the good of the Elemental Nations as a whole, and she was supposed to be _honored _to do her part in keeping everyone else safe. She'd felt anything but honored by the people of Taki, though.

She'd considered trying to communicate with her own Bijuu soon after that, or at least get something else out of it than a constant pressure to soar through the sky. Nagato and Konan had seemed willing to allow it, since she could theoretically increase her own power by better understanding just what her Bijuu was like. She hadn't gotten very far before Jiraiya showed up and warned them away from that course of action, even going so far as to alter her seal to prevent that from happening. He was much happier with the seals borne by Kyoko-chan and Yahiko-kun, though he still made adjustments to those as well. All of the Guardians - and it was becoming almost too easy to think of herself like that - had found that they had a much easier time accessing their Bijuu's power after Jiraiya's work. Kyoko-chan had taken to making shapes out of any smoke that was at hand, and when Fuu had taken her on a flight she'd altered the clouds themselves into a vast landscape or rolling hills and forests.

Yahiko-kun, on the other hand, still hadn't displayed just what it was he could do. He'd even made a game out of trying to make her guess, dropping vague hints that led her thoughts in a hundred different directions. She assumed that Nagato and Konan knew, but they indulged their son on that front and refused to tell her outright. All she knew is that they were constantly suppressing laughter whenever they were around and she was talking to Yahiko.

Deidara bumped into her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at him to see him looking at her with a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, shaking her head.

"The Kyuubi was sighted roughly fifty miles inside the border of the Land of Lightning yesterday, heading towards the northern coast at a very slow pace. We are uncertain what he is trying to accomplish, but Kumo will become aware of his presence soon, if they are not already."

Fuu glanced down at the straw hat she held in her hands. "We're going after him, then?"

"Yes," Nagato replied, nodding. "You will not be attempting to capture him, however. The seal used to contain him has some unusual properties, and it is unlikely that we will be able to extract him into one of our own design without considerable risk. Instead, you are to destroy him."

Fuu's eyes widened slightly, and she felt Deidara stiffening beside her. "_Destroy_? I thought the Bijuu couldn't be-"

Nagato held up his head, cutting her off. "Destroy his body, I should say. That should trigger the banishment clause built into his seal and rid us of his interference for the next one hundred years. Should he return after that, Akatsuki will be ready for him."

"Sounds like I get to cut loose, un," Deidara spoke up, practically vibrating with excitement. "I wonder what kind of art he'll make, un."

"Do not be careless, Deidara," Nagato cautioned. "The last time he was banished it resulted in an explosion that ultimately turned half of the Land of Wind into a wasteland. You will have to judge the final blow very carefully."

Fuu could see Deidara's pupils dilating as he swallowed convulsively, his hands clenching. "Yeah, un," he breathed, his eyes distant.

Nagato eyed him for a moment before turning back to Fuu. "Konan will be accompanying you. You will be responsible for getting the three of you to the Land of Lightning as quickly as possible, as well as evading any problems that crop up after the Kyuubi's body is destroyed. Konan's role will be to delay the Bijuu long enough for Deidara to prepare his attack, and you will be supporting her in that. I trust you will have no problems?"

"Of course, Leader-sama," Fuu replied, bowing slightly. She knew she was the fastest flier out of the three of them - probably the fastest flier in existence - but she'd never crossed anything even approaching the distance they were talking about now. She was actually getting a little excited thinking about the challenge this would pose, especially since she would have to carry two other people with her at the same time. Her Bijuu seemed to respond to the thought as well, the constant pressure ramping up sharply as if trying to force her to take flight at that very moment.

"Good. You leave immediately."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 10th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, West-

"Sorry, haven't seen 'im."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Blond, huh? Don't get many of those around here."

"Purple eyes? What kind of freak has-"

The man's head smashed into the table, shattering his nose and denting the wooden surface. The cloaked figure let go and let him fall back to the floor where he lay groaning in pain, barely able to recognize his surroundings.

"Hey, what the fuck are ya-" the other men sitting at the table began to shout.

"Sit down and shut up, you idiots!" the bartender roared, cutting through the swiftly rising din. An awkward silence fell over the room, several men freezing, half-risen out of their chairs, before slowly sitting back down.

The cloaked ninja looked over at the one who had shouted, the gloved hand that had moved so quickly it was almost invisible falling back to once more lie concealed within the dark cloak he wore. His face was covered by a bone white mask that bore no decorations or marks except for the dark red lines that surrounded the eyes. There was a large sword strapped to his back as well, nearly as tall as the ninja himself.

"Look, ninja-san, we don't want any trouble," the bartender continued calmly, raising both of his hands in a surrendering gesture. "We'll do out best to answer any questions you got, so just leave us in peace afterwards, yeah?"

"I'm looking for a boy," the ninja said, the distorted voice carrying throughout the quiet bar. He held out his hand, palm down, even with his own neck. "He's about this tall, has blond hair, purple eyes, and three lines on each cheek that look like birthmarks. He may have had a ninja headband on somewhere as well."

"Any o' you sorry lot seen someone like that?" the barman called out, his eyes scanning the room.

One of the men near the back slowly stood up, a large smirk on his face. "I mighta seen somethin'," he drawled. "Then again, I might not. You ninjas are rich, right? I figure a bit o' money might jog my memory some, yeah?"

He started to chuckle before the sound of metal coins banging against each other rang out loud and clear. He looked down to see a bag lying out his feet, a mixture of silver and gold coins spilling out of the top. He looked back up to see the masked ninja less than a foot away, the small opening that served as the eyes in the ninja's mask boring down on him with palpable intensity.

"Speak," the distorted voice came, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

"I- uh, y-yeah, I seen him. I was, uh, out huntin' when I saw 'im, about three days ago, just strollin' down the road like he ain't got a care in the world. I didn't see no headband or nothin', but he had blond hair and marks on his cheeks, just like you said."

"Where?"

"'Bout halfway between here and the next village, near where the river turns and all those rocks are juttin' out. The main road runs right past it, can't miss it."

"Which way was he headed?"

"Uh…" the man's eyes grew distant for a moment, then he nodded. "North. Yeah, he was headed north."

The ninja's form blurred for a moment, and then he was gone like he'd never been there in the first place.

~ Scene Break ~

-August 11th, 349 NE-

-Raikage's Office, Kumogakure-

"I am very pleased to hear that, Raikage-sama. My clients have been eagerly awaiting your decision, and they will be-"

"Cut the crap," the Raikage interrupted, scowling.

Chiaki shifted uncomfortably for a moment, clearing his throat roughly. "Ah… yes, well. Our latest information on the target indicates that he has been moving in a generally northern direction for the past month, and was last sighted near the Windswept Valley. He has generally avoided contact with anyone but will occasionally enter a town or settlement to gather supplies. He stayed at an inn roughly two weeks ago — disguised, of course — but one my client's agents recognized him and reported it. We've been following his trail ever since."

The Raikage drummed his fingers on his desk, fixing Chiaki with a dark glare. "Near the Windswept Valley, a week ago. Do you understand just how quickly ninja can travel, Konoka-san? A week is a _very _long time to a ninja."

Chiaki shifted in his seat again, his gaze flickering to Yugito and Kirabi who were both watching him silently, blank expressions on their faces.

"I-I do understand that, Raikage-sama," he stuttered, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He gulped nervously when the Raikage began leaking a small amount of killing intent. "I do!" he repeated quickly. "B-but the target has been moving slowly for some reason. Our- I mean, my clients' agents have been able to keep up with him without exposing themselves."

The killing intent grew a little heavier as tension filled the room, all of it focused on Chiaki.

"H-he's been traveling alone, always! He hasn't bought anything except food and supplies. He keeps going into bookstores and craft stores, but never buys anything there. Th-that's everything we know!"

The killing intent spiked for a moment before slowly disappearing. The Raikage leaned back, allowing a small sigh to escape his lips. "I suppose that's the best we can expect from a bunch of civilians," he said finally, shaking his head slightly. "We'll take it from here, Konoka-san. I just hope that your information is still accurate… for your sake. Talk to Saya to get your money."

Chiaki stood from his chair shakily, trying to cover his lack of control by repeatedly bowing as he moved towards the door. "Of course, Raikage-sama. Thank you, Raikage-sama. We look forward to hearing of your success, Raikage-sama."

The three ninja watched silently as he left and closed the door behind him, still thanking the Raikage with every step. Once he was gone, they exchanged glances.

"He withstood your killing intent like he didn't know what it meant," Kirabi pointed out, folding his arms back over his chest. "He tried to play the fool, but inside he was a little too cool."

"What did the ninja who followed him say?" Yugito asked.

"That everything checked out up to the point they lost him in Shinatsu-gai," the Raikage replied. "Supposedly he walked into the middle of a crowded square and just vanished."

Yugito blinked in surprise. "They lost a civilian?"

The Raikage grunted softly. "He _acts _like a civilian, but I have my doubts."

"Should we be a little more forceful about it, then?"

The Raikage leaned back, rubbing his goatee thoughtfully before finally shaking his head. "Everything else about him checked out. It wouldn't be the first time a missing-nin tried to pass himself off as a civilian, and as long as he's not one of ours I don't really care. Of course, if the information he just sold us doesn't check out…"

"If he tries to make off with our bling, we'll just have to make him sing," Kirabi burst out, nodding to himself.

Both Yugito and the Raikage stifled a grimace at that.

"So, the Windswept Valley," Yugito continued quickly. "I can have my team there in twenty hours if we push."

"Do it," the Raikage ordered. "I want regular updates as you search. If a week passes and there's no sign of him, send word then report to Shinatsu-gai to await further orders."

"Yes, sir!"

~ Scene Break ~

-August 12th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, Northwest-

Kushina felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest when she finally caught sight of her son. Just like the various civilians had reported, he was walking down the road at a relaxed pace, his hands tucked behind his head and a bored expression on his face. His blond hair, so much like his father's, had grown out enough that the spikes on his head were starting to droop a little, and without the headband to keep them contained she could see the beginnings of the long bangs Minato had favored.

She crossed the remaining distance in a single movement, coming to a stop a few feet in front of her son and doing everything she could to resist sweeping him up into a crushing hug. Naruto looked wary at first, dropping into a defensive stance and pulling out a kunai before his dark purple eyes narrowed and studied her form more closely. She quickly pulled off her mask and pushed back the hood of her cloak, revealing her smiling face to him.

"Kush- Kaa-san?" Naruto asked, shocked. "How did you- why are you here?"

"I found out about the bounty on you, Naruto-kun," she said, stepping closer. "I came as soon as I could. Now that I've found you, I can take you back with me to where I've been staying." She swallowed thickly, blinking away the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I can finally take you home."

Naruto stared at her, apparently unable to process what she was saying. "I… Kaa-san, you can't be here right now."

Kushina's eyes widened in panic. "What? Is something wrong? Has someone else already found you? Or-" her heart clenched painfully as the traitorous thought entered her mind. "Do you- do you not want to-"

"What? No! I mean, I'd _love _to go with you, Kaa-san," Naruto said quickly, stepping forward and laying one hand on her arm. "It's just… there's a reason I'm here, and it's very important that I remain here until my job is complete."

Kushina let out a relieved breath as the tension in her chest eased. It wasn't that her son didn't want to go with her, but that he was on a mission. She was a ninja herself; she could understand that.

"Let me help you, then. Between the two of us it will go much easier." She smiled again as she reached out to caress his hair gently. "It'll be our first mission together, mother and son."

Naruto stared up at her, his eyes wide. "Kaa-san…" he said softly. Then he shook his head, frowning. "It's too dangerous. I only just got you back, and I don't want to lose you again," he insisted.

Kushina couldn't help the large smile that bloomed across her face. Here was yet more confirmation that her son cared about her, wanted to see her safe. Of course, if his mission was dangerous enough that he would worry about someone else, then there was no way she was ever going to leave him to face it alone.

"I think you'll find that your mother is a lot stronger than you think, Naruto-kun," she told him. "And everyone needs someone to watch their back."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 12th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, Northwest-

"That's Sword, no mistake. Not many ninja run around with a _nodachi_, and throw in the full cloak and blank ANBU mask?" Samui commented softly, lowering the spyglass.

"Oh man," Omoi moaned, dropping into a crouch. "I've heard he's S-class. He's gonna make off with our target, and then we'll chase after him but run into an ambush from his partner. We'll get held up fighting him and lose sight of the jinchuuriki, and then Kiri will get hold of him and use him to launch an invasion that-"

"Shut up," Yugito hissed. "This isn't the time." She turned back to Samui. "What's happening? Is there any sign of Hammer?"

"No, looks like it's just him. He's moving pretty fast, and looks like he's looking for something. Wait… alright, he's just made contact with the jinchuuriki."

"I told you!" Omoi called out.

"No fighting yet," Samui said after a moment. "Our target's pulled out a kunai, but Sword hasn't responded. Trying for intimidation, maybe?"

"On a jinchuuriki? Good luck with that," Karui snorted, amused.

"Still no sign of Hammer, or any other ninja," Samui continued.

"I see two options," Yugito said after a moment. "Either Sword is trying to catch him off guard, or he's trying to recruit our target. If it's the former I'd be perfectly happy to let them fight it out and strike once they're weakened, but if it's the latter that may not be an option."

"Or Sword could be delaying in order to allow Hammer time to catch up. They always work as a team, from the reports," Karui pointed out calmly, once more looking through the spyglass.

Yugito nodded thoughtfully. "Worst case, Hammer shows up and the jinchuuriki agrees to join up with them. If that happens-"

"Huh. Sword is a woman," Samui interrupted, her voice surprised.

All three of her companions turned to look at her. "What?" Karui asked blankly.

"Sword is a woman. A redhead, in fact."

Yugito stiffened, her mind racing. "She's supposed to be dead," she blurted out.

The focus of the group turned to center on her. "Who is?" Karui asked as she silenced Omoi's mutterings about zombies.

"Kushina Uzumaki. She was one of Konoha's strongest ninja when I was still a student; I remember my kenjutsu teacher praising her as one of the best sword-wielders outside of Kumo; he was especially impressed with how well she handled the _nodachi_ that she favored. She was supposed to have died when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha."

"It's a setup!" Omoi declared, holding his head in his hands. "Konoha has planted one of their strongest ninja deep into the ranks of the missing-nin so that they can use her to disrupt the other villages without anyone catching on! And now they're doing the same thing with their jinchuuriki! She's going to interfere with whoever tries to capture him, and then they'll work together to whittle down all the teams sent after him until they've killed every ninja from a village other than Konoha, at which point they'll-"

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Yugito muttered, "but he has a point. This is a little _too _convenient."

"If that really is Kushina Uzumaki," Karui countered. "All we have is that Sword is female, a redhead, and carries a _nodachi_. That's hardly confirmation."

"You honestly think it's just a coincidence?" Samui asked in disbelief.

Karui shrugged and turned back to Yugito. "What's the call, leader?"

"We wait and see," Yugito said firmly. "It's a little odd that they would talk so openly if this really is a setup, but that's the only thing that makes sense at this point. I'm going to send word to the Raikage about this and see if he wants to expand the mission or not. Taking out a single jinchuuriki with no support is one thing; taking on one or more S-class ninja on top of that is more than we're prepared for. If we're going to face all of them at once we'll need reinforcements."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 12th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, Northwest-

"So what is this mission, anyway?" Kushina asked as they began to walk down the road. She hadn't succeeded in convincing Naruto to come with her yet, but it was only a matter of time. Until then, she was content to stick by his side until he came around.

"I can't really talk about it, Kaa-san," Naruto replied evasively, still looking uncomfortable.

"Who gave you the mission, then? Was it Konoha?" Her face darkened. "Did that bastard Sarutobi really send you out alone? Is he trying to get you killed, is that it?"

"What?" Naruto yelped. "No! Sarutobi-sama would never do that, and besides, Shikaku-jiisan is the Hokage now!"

"But they did send you out?" Kushina pressed.

"No…" Naruto answered more seriously as he recovered from his shock. "This mission doesn't have anything to do with Konoha. I'm… I'm a freelancer now, just like you." He sounded a little wistful when he said it.

Kushina couldn't help the grin that spread across her face at that, and she reached out to pull her son into a sideways hug. "And I'm sure you'll do great. With Tsunade and I showing you the ropes, you'll be on your feet before you know it." She laughed lightly, and reveled in the sound of it, the feeling of it. She'd had precious few reasons to laugh since _that night_, but everything was finally coming together, becoming the way it should have been all along. "Hopefully you get a better name than 'Sword'," she added. "Tsunade still can't stand the fact that we got stuck with those, and she's half-convinced that Jiraiya had something to do with it."

"Hopefully," Naruto replied, smiling. "I've got a few names in mind, but it all depends on how things turn out, I guess."

"Oh?" Kushina asked, delighted that she was successfully drawing Naruto into a conversation. She was also proud of herself for keeping a tighter rein on her emotions this time; she hadn't even shed a tear yet, though she'd come close when she first caught sight of him. "Any names you care to share?"

"Not yet," Naruto answered. "A lot of them are meant to describe a pair of people, after all."

Kushina nodded. "And how is Ino-chan, anyway? Is she back in Konoha still?"

Naruto snorted in amusement and shook his head. "Like hell I'd-" he stopped abruptly, a frown crossing his face before he shook his head. "Like hell I'd leave her behind," he continued, his turning casually from side to side as his eyes flickered back and forth, rapidly scanning the area.

Kushina recognized that kind of mannerism and started paying much more attention to her own senses while keeping her demeanor casual. After a few seconds she noted the faintest traces of something, likely the same thing that her son had noticed.

"Is she part of this mission, then?" she asked casually, turning to look directly at Naruto and sweeping her eyes along the path behind them.

"In a way," Naruto replied distractedly, a small frown on his face as his nose crinkled. He inhaled deeply several times, a slight frown crossing his face.

Kushina breathed in deeply as well, focusing on any scents in the surrounding area. Nothing stood out to her, but perhaps her son's senses were sharper than her own.

"Will I get a chance to meet her?" she continued, her eyes and ears still studying their surroundings intently. She shrugged her shoulders casually, checking the weight of her _nodachi _and ensuring that the sheath was still firmly attached to her back at the proper angle. "I've heard so much about her over the years, I feel like she's just as much part of my family as you."

Naruto looked over at her, a wide grin on his face, and Kushina knew she'd said the right thing. She meant it, to a point, but she was also aware of just how close Ino was to her son and wanted to make sure that he didn't think she would try to separate them or anything equally foolish.

"I know she'd love to meet you as well, Kaa-san," Naruto said. His nose twitched again, and for a moment it looked like he was about to sneeze.

"Do you smell that?" he asked. "It's like something is burning."

Kushina reflexively pushed chakra into her lungs, instinctively filtering out any possible toxins or other substances that could have been added to the air. After several seconds she relaxed; there was no reaction that the technique was encountering anything beyond the typical mixture of pollen and other substances that were normally found outside. She finally shook her head. "I don't smell anything, and it doesn't seem like there's anything strange in the air, either."

After a moment, he shrugged. "I guess it's nothing."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 12th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, West-

"Fuu!" Deidara called out, shaking her shoulder roughly.

Fuu languidly turned her head towards him, a soft grin on her face. "Yeah?" she asked, struggling to focus through the euphoric fog that filled her entire body.

He frowned at her, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Come on, Fuu, stick with me, un."

She reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt. "I'm with ya, baby. _All_ night," she drawled, giggling and tugging on his shirt. "Hey, can you do that thing with your-"

"Fuu!" he snapped, frowning harshly. "This isn't the time, un."

She pouted at him for a moment, then squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against her temples, struggling to concentrate. "Sorry," she forced out after a minute. "We were… were…" she trailed off, frustrated.

"Preparing to assault a Bijuu?" Konan finished drily, her voice thoroughly unamused. She looked over at Deidara, frowning. "This is a _much_ worse than it was last night. Are you sure she's up for this?"

"She'll be fine, un," Deidara said defensively, pulling Fuu to her feet. She swayed unsteadily for a moment before leaning against him, her arms wrapping around him and holding tight. After a moment, her hands started to wander and Deidara yelped, grabbing her arms and holding them in place.

"Clearly," Konan muttered.

"You were the one who insisted we keep pushing," Deidara shot back even as he looked into Fuu's eyes, trying to determine just how bad off she was.

"And you are well aware of the reasons for our haste, as was she," Konan countered. She stepped closer, observing Fuu's demeanor for several seconds. "Has she ever gotten like this before?"

"No, un," Deidara replied, cupping Fuu's cheek and studying the dilation of her pupils. She giggled in response, her head turning as she tried to lick his palm. "I know she gets a thrill from flying, but so do we, un. This… this is something else, un."

"What's the longest she's continually pulled on the Nanabi's power before this?"

Deidara frowned as he searched his memory, pulling Fuu into a soft embrace and rubbing his hand up and down her back as he did so. "Maybe an hour, un."

Konan stepped closer, holding Fuu's head in her hands and studying her expression closely. "Fuu," she said sharply, "has this ever happened to you before?"

Fuu frowned, then nodded slowly. "I… I think… there was this one time when Dei-kun took me out near this _beautiful_ waterfall and we kept going at it for _hours,_" she finished, her expression glazed as another giggle escaped her lips.

Konan growled in disgust and dropped her hands, ignoring the faint blush on Deidara's cheeks. "She's useless like this," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"It's not her fault, un," Deidara said. "She got us here _days _before either of us could have made it on our own, and you know it, un."

"I'm well aware of that," she answered. "Regardless, we can't execute the plan while she's drifting between completely out of it and trying to feel you up." She looked pensive for a moment, then sighed and nodded to herself, pulling out a small, intricate tag. "It can't be helped," she decided, slapping the tag on Fuu's back.

Fuu's eyes widened for a moment before she convulsed, her eyes rolling up until they were completely white and her body shaking uncontrollably. She was completely unresponsive to Deidara's panicked cries, and she finally collapsed limply into his arms several seconds later, her eyes drifting closed and her breathing evening out.

"What did you just do?" Deidara snarled, whirling on Konan.

"Cut her off from the Nanabi's power completely," Konan replied calmly, meeting Deidara's furious gaze without concern. "We can't continue without her, and this is likely the fastest way to get her back in her right mind."

"You could have warned her!" he said, though a lot of the heat had gone out of his voice.

"She was in no condition to understand or agree to anything," Konan said dismissively, already turning away. "We'll remove the tag in a few hours and determine her state then. In the meantime, you watch over her while I start looking for our target."

With that, her pure white wings flared out and pushed down powerfully, launching her into the air before Deidara could reply.

~ Scene Break ~

-August 14th, 348 NE-

-Land of Lightning, Northwest-

"They're trying to lure us into a trap, that's it," Omoi muttered lowly as the team from Kumo observed their quarry from the distance. "The moment we close in Hammer will pop up out of nowhere and kill one of us, while Sword and the jinchuuriki will join forces to take on the rest of us. They'll leave Yugito-senpai alive, though, as they're probably planning to use her tailed beast for an evil plot involving-"

His rant was cut off as Karui cuffed him on the back of his head, a harsh glare on her face. "Not everything is a trap, you idiot."

"That's what they _want _you to think!" he shot back with a glare of his own.

Samui and Yugito ignored them with an ease born of long suffering, instead consulting quietly about how they should approach the situation.

"They seem to be settling in for the night," Samui noted, frowning slightly. "Still no sign of Hammer or any other ninja, and they haven't done anything that would indicate they were signaling another group or leaving signs for someone to follow."

Yugito nodded in agreement. "Which would suggest that they are planning to meet with someone at a prearranged location. Pretty soon they'll be moving further away from Kumogakure and approaching the coast, so they could be planning to take a ship somewhere."

Samui shrugged, reaching up to rub one of her shoulders tiredly. "They've been walking in the open the entire time, though. To be honest it's really starting to get to me."

"I know what you mean," Yugito muttered, glancing into the distance where Naruto and the ninja known as Sword had set up a small camp about a mile away from the main road. "They're barely traveling faster than the average civilian, and they haven't bothered to hide themselves or avoid being seen the whole time. He's practically announcing his presence."

"But _why_?" groaned Samui. "It doesn't make any _sense_. If he's acting as bait, where are the other ninja? If they're around and we've completely failed to spot them, what's stopping them from taking us out right now?"

Yugito's reply was interrupted when a small eagle landed nearby, a tightly rolled scroll clutched in its claws. It let out a low cry before sticking out its leg towards Yugito.

Yugito took the scroll quickly, unrolling it and scanning the contents while her team gathered around her. She didn't say anything for several moments, instead pulling out a brush from her pack and making a series of short notations on the scroll. She rolled it back up, secured it to the bird's leg, and sent the bird on its way.

"Well?" Karui asked. "What did the Raikage say?"

"He's dispatched two ANBU teams to stand by at the Windswept East Outpost. We are to make contact with them and then launch our attack on the targets as soon as possible thereafter," Yugito reported, her eyes closing for a moment. She drew in a deep breath. "Karui, Darui, you two head to the outpost and lead the teams to the base of that hill on the far side of the target's camp," Yugito said, pointing into the distance. "Once I have confirmed your arrival, I will begin the assault myself. You two and the other teams will be responsible for Sword. I will focus on the jinchuuriki, and Samui will provide backup for either group as needed. Above all, make sure that Sword is not able to link up with or assist the jinchuuriki.

"We don't know much about Sword's skills or techniques, but expect a high degree of mastery over her _nodachi _at the very least. Sword has been listed as S-rank for the last five years, and if she really is Kushina Uzumaki she's been that good for at least twice that long. You'd better approach that fight as if Kirabi himself was coming at you for real."

Karui and Omoi nodded solemnly, their expressions grim.

Yugito looked at each of them in turn, noting that their eyes were unwavering and steely as they returned her gaze.

"You three better survive this, or Kirabi is going to kick my ass."

The three of them snorted in unison, a bit of the tension leaving their frames for a moment.

"That's all," Yugito said finally. "Move out."

~ Scene Break ~

-August 14th, 348 NE-

-3:20 AM-

-Land of Lightning, Northwest-

Yugito placed her pack and cloak in a small hollow at the base of the tree, making sure everything was well-concealed and that she had a clear grasp of the location. That task done, she turned and began walking through the trees towards the camp her target had established. Her bare feet padded over the loose leaves and twigs silently, making not a single whisper of sound as she moved. The cool air whispered across her skin, the first hints of autumn making themselves known in the Land of Lightning. The sounds of the forest - the chattering of the insects, the small barks and cries of animals - gradually faded away as the wildlife fled, sensing the events about to occur with a prescience that never failed to amuse her.

No ninja had ever shown half as much sense, after all.

She breathed in deeply, her heart beginning to beat faster in anticipation. She shifted her focus inward, pushing her chakra towards that place within herself where _it _waited, coiled and patient as a banked furnace. A rush of heat swept through her, banishing the chill of the night in an instant as sweat began to seep from her pores. She pushed more chakra towards _it_, raising the heat higher and higher until she felt as if she were about to set herself ablaze. Then, with a smooth motion born of long years of practice, she pulled all of her chakra away from _it. _

For a moment everything hung in perfect balance, the night deathly quiet and the stars sparkling high overhead as her gaze fell onto the distant sight of the camp where her quarry lay resting. Then fire exploded from her form, setting the nearby trees ablaze and reducing the loose shirt and shorts she had been wearing to so much ash, then burning the ash itself away until nothing remained. She herself hung suspended in the middle of the firestorm, the flames flowing out of her, into her, through her, permeating her lungs, her muscles, her very being and yet not singing even a single hair on her head. She could feel her senses expanding as she made the adjustment from her human body to that of the Nibi, a form fashioned of flame and heat and raw, surging _power_.

She rose, towering above the surrounding woods, and bathing the area in the pale blue light given off by her burning form. Her paws made contact with the earth, destroying the grass and trees and leaving nothing but blackened and scorched earth in their wake. Her two tails curled through the air, the tips glowing white and the air around them shimmering with heat. Her mouth opened wide, revealing white, sharply pointed columns of fire that served as her teeth and exposing the churning conflagration that burned deep within her body.

Her target stood out to her senses like a bonfire, a distinctive feeling both like and unlike that she had gotten from Kirabi that burned away any doubt she might have had regarding the identify of the ninja she had been tracking. Like Kirabi, her target felt to her somehow clearer, firmer, more _real _than anything else she had ever experienced, either within her own form or that of the Nibi. At the same time, where Kirabi felt heavy, as if just being near him placed a weight upon her shoulders, Konoha's missing jinchuuriki felt… empty, even hollow, like she'd just stepped into a giant cave and found nothing but darkness stretching in every direction.

She could feel the other ninja in the area, their chakra small sparks against her own blaze and that of the jinchuuriki. They were beginning to move, slowly converging on the large spark that stood next to her target. They were waiting for her to make the first move, however, and so she coiled her legs and leapt, crossing the remaining distance to the camp in a matter of moments and landing heavily, sending a swirl of fire sweeping through the area and coming to a rest with a paw on either side of the jinchuuriki she had come to capture… or kill.

The ninja known as Sword had rolled to the side, reacting with impressive speed and avoiding the splash of fire that would have consumed her. The jinchuuriki responded to the attack with a surge of power, pushing back the heat that threatened him and standing firm, though with a fearful expression.

No, that wasn't quite right, Yugito noted with concern. That expression was not one of fear.

The jinchuuriki actually stepped forward, one hand slowly stretching out as if trying to touch her. He seemed to be moving calmly, almost languidly, a stark contrast to the frantic motions of Sword who was even now being forced away from their position by the steady onslaught of nearly a dozen ninja. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly parted, and his expression… his expression was not fearful, but awed. The feeling he gave off was also changing, the hollow feeling fading to be replaced by the feeling that she was being watched, studied, like something was looking into her and through her and out of her all at once.

"_Beautiful_," the jinchuuriki whispered.

~ End Chapter ~

**A/N: Not much to say on this chapter.**

**As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	56. Bait And Switch, Part II

Samui watched as the hunter-nin squads moved to engage Sword. One team, each wielding a katana or tanto, closed in to melee range and began a whirling dance of flashing steel as they seamlessly switched out with one another, attacking from an unexpected angle or turning one ninja's feint into a true attack from another. The second team stayed roughly twenty feet back, analyzing the progress of the fight and preparing to support the first team with a ranged bombardment of ninjutsu or kunai should they break off. The third team stayed further out still, taking up position near Samui and her own team as the reserve group.

She wasn't sure if she believed the so-called independent known by the incredibly unimaginative pseudonym of "Sword" was actually Kushina Uzumaki or not, nor did she much care. She could respect the power needed for a ninja to eschew all of the Hidden Villages entirely and actually make it stick, certainly, but she couldn't help but feel a bit of contempt for them at the same time. No loyalty to a village, no loyalty to their fellow ninja, nothing to protect or fight for but themselves.

The progress of the battle before her exemplified the power of a village and cooperation better than words ever could have.

Sword looked frantic, her blade flashing about rapidly, keeping the hunter-nin at a distance as she managed to evade crippling blows by the narrowest of margins. She also seemed distracted by her companion's plight, if the way her gaze kept turning to where Yugito was cornering the jinchuuriki was any indication. Despite her best efforts she was slowly being forced back as the hunter-nin did their job, the constant pressure of the whirling melee herding her further and further from her companion. Sword was spilling out more and more killing intent as her frustration mounted, but it was wild and unfocused; certainly nothing that would faze any of the ninja arrayed against her. These were A-class ninja, every one of them, and they were damn good at what they did.

Her eyes narrowed as _something_ changed, though the only thing she noted was a subtle shift in Sword's stance. The ninja's left hand had loosened its grip, weakening her defense and allowing the Kumo-nin currently crossing blades with her to push forward, slowly overpowering her. One of the other ninja saw an opening and slipped in, his tanto flashing in to score a deep gash on the back of Sword's leg, possibly even a crippling blow.

Then Sword caught the blade bare-handed before it could land as a shimmer formed along the edge of her _nodachi_.

Samui's instincts screamed at her and she immediately leapt back, high and away. Her eyes slowly widened as she finally realized what had changed; Sword's killing intent, previously strong enough to clearly sense even if it was unfocused, was gone, vanished without a trace.

Sword's left hand, the one holding the tanto, jerked to the side and then forward, snapping the tempered steel blade of the tanto and driving the broken fragment into her opponent's chest. At the same time her body _flowed _sideways and the air filled with the sound of screeching metal as her _nodachi _slid along the katana pressed against it. And then sliced through it, the _nodachi__'s _arc continuing as it cut through the ninja wielding the now broken katana with equal ease.

Two ninja dead, and still no killing intent.

She knew these ninja, had gone on missions with them and fought side by side. This wasn't the first time she had seen friends die, nor would it be the last, but she forced the pain of their loss aside and focused on the battle, searching for any opening or weakness that she could use to keep the rest of her fellow ninja alive.

The second hunter-nin squad began flashing through hand-signs while the two surviving ninja on the melee team leapt back, realizing that they would be unable to maintain their assault any further. Sword let the arm holding the _nodachi _fully extend as she began turning her body. The faint shimmer along the edge of the blade was clearly visible now, a bright shining blue that sent chills down Samui's spine as she considered how much chakra it would take to produce that effect.

Samui's feet touched down on the side of the tree and her mouth dropped open to scream a desperate warning. "_Fall back!_" she shouted.

Sword's body whirled in a full circle, the _nodachi _leaving a faintly glowing trail of blue that surrounded her like a halo before slowly dissipating.

And still no killing intent.

Samui barely caught the ripple as it passed through the air, expanding from Sword in all directions and passing through the Kumo-nin on the ground moments later. She felt the tree beneath her shudder as the ripple struck it, and the small but inevitable shift in gravity as it began tilting sideways. The Kumo-nin who had been in the path of the ripple just… collapsed, their bodies falling to the ground in pieces as puddles of blood began to rapidly form beneath them.

Sword was already bringing up her blade in a two-handed grip, her entire body giving the impression of absolute focus that was at odds with her previously frantic and desperate demeanor. Her head turned slowly from side to side before coming to rest on the nearest living Kumo-nin, the sole survivor of the melee team who had landed amongst the branches of a tree in a crouch.

Samui swallowed thickly. Yugito's warning seemed especially apt now, if _that _was what Sword was really capable of.

And _still_ no killing intent. If she was honest with herself, that was unnerving her as every bit as much as facing off against the overwhelming power of her teacher did.

~ Scene Break ~

"_Beautiful_," the jinchuuriki whispered.

Yugito actually stopped moving for a moment, completely taken aback by the word and the tone the jinchuuriki had used. She couldn't even imagine what he meant by that, or why he would be saying it now of all times; she certainly didn't consider the burning mass of flames that comprised her current form _beautiful_, not by any stretch. She would have been tempted to dismiss it as a ploy if it weren't for how… _sincere _he seemed. He didn't even seem to notice that he was completely surrounded by flames that were even now singing the edges of his clothing, or that the grass under his feet was drying up and withering just being near her paws.

She shoved the distraction aside, flaring the chakra surrounding the jinchuuriki higher and raising the temperature even further. He finally seemed to realize the situation he was in, jerking back with a startled look as his strangely shifting chakra faltered. His odd trance broken, he staggered back and turned, trying to escape from her clutches.

A fiery paw slammed into his path, setting the ground ablaze and sending a wave of heat slamming into him. The jinchuuriki staggered back, one hand raised to ward off the flames while he turned his body away. His chakra flared again, pushing against hers and sending the oddest rippling sensation through her. Yugito couldn't feel any intent behind the ripple, no direction or purposeful movements, not even a trace of the jinchuuriki's chakra contained within it, but it gave her pause all the same. Even _it _seemed to be taken aback, the flow of _its _chakra faltering for a moment before stabilizing. She clamped down tighter on _its _chakra, making sure she remained firmly in control.

The jinchuuriki was trying to flee again, his legs pumping with impressive speed and power as he raced away from her paws. She slammed her other paw down in his path and pushed out her chakra to surround him completely, cutting off any potential escape. The jinchuuriki's skin was slowly reddening from the continued close exposure to the Tailed Beast's form, the sweat vaporizing from his skin before it had even properly left his pores. She raised the heat again before lowering it to a - slightly - more tolerable level just to make her point.

"**Surrender before I turn you to ash**," she growled. She hated the way her voice was distorted in this form, but it served its purpose.

The jinchuuriki flared his chakra again, and again she felt that odd rippling sensation. _It _didn't react this time, though, so she was satisfied that her tighter control was sufficient to counter whatever it was the jinchuuriki was doing, consciously or not. She pushed the heat higher, high enough to drive him to his knees as she lowered her head and allowed her jaws to open wide, exposing the white hot furnace that lay within the heart of the Tailed Beast's form.

"**Last chance**," she told him, leaving the heat where it was. She knew that this temperature would be enough to start causing superficial burns even without direct contact, and continued exposure would eventually kill him just as surely as a kunai to the heart.

"Fine," the jinchuuriki gasped out, his voice rasping. "Fine, I surrender."

Yugito immediately lowered the temperature, then broke off a portion of her chakra to shape into a sphere that surrounded her prisoner. The sphere shimmered, shifting between pale blue and white across the surface. The jinchuuriki hunched over, staring at the edge of his shirt that had touched the sphere and instantly been reduced to ashes.

She would have preferred to immediately set out for Kumo with her prisoner in tow, but the spike in Sword's chakra along with the sudden disappearance of several of the sparks that signified the chakra of her fellow Kumo-nin was worrying her.

"**You won****'t get another chance, so don't even think about trying to break free**," she warned the jinchuuriki. The sphere itself would do some serious damage should he try it, though she wouldn't be surprised if he had some method of escaping at his disposal. He was unlikely to allow her to get this close again without making her work for it, and she wasn't going to count on getting that lucky again. If he so much as twitched in a way she didn't like, she would reduce him to ash and subdue the released Tailed Beast directly while Kirabi's students prepared the temporary sealing array.

She started to turn her attention to Sword when she felt three more ninja approaching, two with nearly as much chakra as Sword and a third that blazed to her senses, telling her that another jinchuuriki was closing in fast.

_Very _fast.

~ Scene Break ~

"You doin' alright, un?" Deidara shouted over the rushing wind, his voice tinged with worry even as his hands were busy shaping a large mass of clay.

"I'm _fine_," Fuu insisted, forcibly ignoring the slowly building haze in her mind.

_Something_ had changed in the last few days, though she had no idea what it was exactly. This sort of thing had never happened before, not even remotely, and she was growing increasingly concerned as it got worse.

She'd felt a little different after Jiraiya had tweaked her seal, certainly. She'd had a hard time not pulling too much of the Bijuu's youki after that, which had messed with her chakra control for a while. Like all of the other Guardians she had made the adjustment well enough in time, with Konan overseeing her efforts in that regard and Deidara helping her out the whole way.

This was something else, though. She'd never used so much of the Bijuu's youki before, nor had she ever used it for such a long period of time at a stretch. She could barely remember the last day of their flight to the Land of Lightning, and she _definitely _didn't remember trying to seduce Deidara right in front of Konan like that. She was grateful that Konan had those tags at hand. Even if she felt absolutely horrible when she eventually woke up, she was at least capable of thinking clearly and controlling her own actions. Now, however, she'd only been actively using youki for a few minutes and she could already feel the euphoria growing.

She'd already decided that she was going to ask Jiraiya to tighten up the seal again when they got back; whatever extra power she had at her disposal wasn't worth the impairment that came with it.

"If you say so, un," Deidara said, his tone making it clear that he didn't fully believe her.

"We're coming in for the first pass," Fuu said, bringing their attention back to their mission. "Keep an eye open for the jinchuuriki."

They could already make out the towering form of a Bijuu that had drawn their attention in the first place, the Nibi judging by the tails. That meant Yugito Nii was involved, but also meant that she was facing something that justified using that much of her Bijuu's youki. Odds were very good that meant she was dealing with the Kyuubi.

The manifested form of the Bijuu turned to face them, its form swelling to nearly twice its original size and its twin tails arcing high into the air threateningly.

Fuu smirked, more than willing to take up that challenge. "Hang on, Dei-kun. Looks like kitty wants to play."

"Play?" Deidara echoed, glancing ahead before his face rapidly paled. "Wait, don't-"

Fuu's wings flared wide as delighted laughter poured from her lips. They slowed for a moment, almost hovering in front of the Nibi's form tauntingly. The twin tails lashed forward, trailing plumes of fire in their wake even as Fuu's wings blurred and they shot sideways, then forward, then in several other directions as she danced around the flailing limbs with ease. After a few seconds she turned and rapidly opened the distance between Yugito and herself, still giggling in delight.

"Hrk," Fuu heard, and she glanced down to see Deidara looking slightly green as he swallowed thickly.

"You alright, Dei-kun?" she asked in concern.

"… Fine," he answered after a moment. He breathed deeply and shook himself before he resumed shaping the clay, forming it into a vaguely humanoid form. "I spotted our target; Nii has him trapped in a sphere of fire, though who knows how long that will last. Right now, though, he's stationary."

"What do you want me to do?" Fuu asked.

"Take us in for another pass," he said, grinning widely as he began pumping chakra into his creation. "Then it'll be time to run like hell."

~Scene Break ~

Yugito hissed in frustration as the pair of ninja sped away. They hadn't made any attempt to attack - _yet _- but the sheer maneuverability they showed in the air was worrying. She doubted she could hit them even with perfect aim given just how quickly they could change directions, barely losing any speed as they did so. She would have to alter her tactics accordingly.

"Hey!" she heard the captured jinchuuriki shout, his voice carrying clearly to her. "Those are members of Akatsuki! That's Fuu, jinchuuriki of- of the Seven-Tails!"

Yugito didn't bother to respond, though she filed the name Akatsuki away for later. She'd heard rumors of the new group of ninja making a splash in the Elemental Nations recently, but she hadn't realized they had gotten their hands on a jinchuuriki, especially _that _one. Kumo was still scrambling to explain just what had happened with the Taki incident, especially since the Iwa refugees they had taken in unanimously stated that Iwa had indeed lost their containers over a decade ago, and the fate of Taki's missing jinchuuriki had been a major concern. Perhaps they had an answer at last.

"They'll try to capture you too!" the jinchuuriki continued shouting. "And they'll just kill you to extract your Tailed Beast!"

The third ninja was still hanging back, hovering a considerable distance away and observing the progress of the battle. The flying jinchuuriki and her companion were changing direction to come in for another pass, all the while charging what felt like a large attack. And two more Kumo-nin had died facing off against Sword.

This must have been the trap the jinchuuriki was hoping to lure them into. Was the jinchuuriki involved with Akatsuki, or was that name just a smokescreen?

"If you just let me out, I could-"

"**Silence,**" Yugito snapped. "**You will remain where you are, or you will die. Your **_**friends **_**aren****'t going to help you now.**" She focused her attention on the pair of fliers as they picked up speed.

"Friends?" the jinchuuriki yelped. "No! They aren't here to help! They're here to capture or kill _both _of us!"

Yugito's tails weaved a pattern in the air, leaving trails of glowing fire that formed a net in the sky. The fliers began gaining altitude in response, though their direction didn't change. Yugito waited, her tails continuing their work as the fliers drew closer and closer. When she judged they were close enough, she leapt up, passing through the burning net and dragging it with her. Her form blurred for a moment, the air around her growing hazy as her form shifted hues to nearly incandescent white, then her tails flicked forward, casting the net far and wide as if shifted into a enormous wall of fire that closed in on the flying jinchuuriki from all sides.

As soon as she tossed the fiery net, she began preparing another attack aimed at where she suspected the fliers would try to escape. The net was wide enough and large enough that the jinchuuriki would probably simply reverse direction to evade it; in so doing, she would run right into the second attack Yugito would launch from behind the concealment of her first attack.

Even as she released a large, coiling column of fire towards where she could feel the jinchuuriki moving, a large concentration of chakra detached from the pair of fliers and began dropping straight towards the ground. She glanced at it to determine what sort of attack it was, only to find a strange, vaguely humanoid statue that was rapidly growing in size even as its disproportionately large arms spread until they were held out horizontally from its sides.

Yugito grinned to herself as her second attack succeeded, after a fashion - the fliers had caught sight of the second column of fire and made the choice to brave the less concentrated wall rather than the thick column of flames. She could hear dual screams of pain as her opponents gained first-hand knowledge of just how incredibly dangerous her flames actually were, though she was disappointed to find that they survived it nonetheless. They turned and immediately began fleeing in a more or less straight line, only varying their direction slightly to shake off further attacks. The third flier began retreating as well, moving at an angle that would intercept her allies.

The statue hit the ground next to her captive and just settled in place for a moment. Then she felt two surges of chakra in rapid succession, one small and one large, before a shock wave slammed into her.

~ Scene Break ~

"_Fuck!_" Fuu yelled, clenching her teeth as she pushed through the pain.

Fuu had been surprised at how quickly Kumo's jinchuuriki had adapted her tactics for aerial combat, but had ultimately dismissed the net - that she had fucking _painted _onto thin air using fire - as a defensive measure designed to ward them off rather than some kind of attack. She'd been surprised when the cat-like being had jumped into its own net, and even more surprised when she managed to throw the entire thing at her, the flames spreading wide enough to cover a significant portion of the sky yet still thick enough to present an effective barrier.

Even that she could have dealt with, since they had gotten close enough for Deidara to drop his little present. When she reversed direction, though, she'd completely missed the fucking fifty meter wide river of fire that the jinchuuriki had managed to spew out until it had been almost on top of them. She'd made the split-second decision to _not _get hit by that, instead taking her chances with the much thinner wall of flames. She'd wrapped herself and Deidara in a cocoon formed from her wings, trusting that the Bijuu's youki would take the brunt of any damage.

It probably had, but that didn't mean that they both hadn't ended up covered with a network of criss-crossing burns that had been seared into their skin. It had gone through their clothing in an instant, hitting their flesh and clinging to them like leeches, burning all the while. She'd had to draw on her Bijuu's power again before she managed to get the stuff off of them, and this time could actually see it eating its way through the youki like acid before she flung it away.

They'd already lost precious seconds dealing with that fucking Kumo jinchuuriki's fire, and they still needed to get _at least _a mile away before Deidara set off his bomb. They couldn't wait too long, though, because every second they delayed was more time for their target to defend himself or get away or somehow disable the technique.

So she ignored the pain, ignored the ugly bands of blackened flesh that traced up and down her arms and back, and flew. She was rapidly catching up to Konan, the blue-haired woman flapping her paper wings steadily as she headed away from the source of the coming blast while her hands were busy rapidly forming a large half-dome out of yet more paper. They'd practiced this scenario relentlessly ever since Leader-sama had decided they were better off killing the Kyuubi than trying to capture him, and they had eventually determined their best option for riding out the massive explosion that was sure to accompany the Bijuu's banishment. Konan would create a barrier using a combination of hardened paper and _fuinjutsu _seals to deflect and absorb the blast when it reached them while Fuu continued to pull all three of them along with the shield directly away from the blast; that had been more than enough for Deidara's largest bombs, and _should _be enough for the Kyuubi.

They had no way to know for sure, of course, and even Deidara admitted that an explosion that could devastate the land for miles and miles was well beyond the largest he could ever manage. They'd performed several test runs out in the middle of the frozen northern seas and decided that they could completely avoid the largest blast Deidara could produce if they could reach a quarter of a mile away; they could stay even closer if they didn't mind getting knocked around a bit. They also noticed that the distance they needed to stay back increased very little compared to the amount of power he poured into his "art."

They had settled on one mile as the absolute minimum distance needed to ride out the blast the Kyuubi's banishment would produce, and would strive to double that if at all possible.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like they had that luxury.

"Do it!" Konan snapped as soon as they reached her and she began repositioning the dome to shield them from the blast. Several tethers reached out from the dome and wrapped around Fuu, who hissed as they tightened around her burns but made no other protest, instead pouring on even more speed as she tried to get them as much distance as possible.

Deidara grunted, ignoring his own burns as he raised one hand. "Katsu!" he barked, grinning through the pain.

A low rumble filled the air behind them, and they all tensed, bracing themselves against the hollow interior of the paper dome, waiting for the blast of air that accompanied Deidara's explosions to hit them.

And waited.

And waited.

Fuu paused in her flight, slowing and turning to look back towards the source of the distant explosion. They caught the final moments of the fiery dome as it dissipated, leaving a cloud of smoke and a large crater in its wake.

"That wasn't a big boom," Fuu pointed out through clenched teeth.

Deidara nodded. "Yeah, un. That was just my C3, un."

"Shit," Fuu groaned. "That means we've got to go back again."

Deidara quickly pulled out some medical supplies and began slathering salve over both of their burns. Fuu nodded gratefully, though in truth it made little difference to the pain she was feeling from what that fucking Kumo-ninhad done to her.

She didn't even want to think what would have happened if she'd taken the _other _attack full on.

"Can you still fight?" Konan asked as she let the shield she had created dissolve back into its paper components.

"Yeah," Fuu growled. "I'm good."

"Yeah, un," Deidara echoed.

"Then finish patching yourselves up quickly. We've already lost our best shot, and we still need to finish this before we attract any more attention."

~ Scene Break ~

Yugito pulled out of her tumble just in time to get her feet under herself and land in a crouch. Her wildly fluctuating chakra slowly calmed, restoring her form to its normal pristine appearance as she shook herself. Whatever that attack was, it managed to reach her real body through the thick shell of chakra that surrounded her, shaking her around and disorienting her for several seconds. She couldn't feel any lasting damage, but she was wary of getting any closer to a blast of that magnitude.

She turned back to where that strange statue had landed, noting the large crater with thick smoke still pouring out of it. She'd lost track of her captive along with everything else when the blast hit her, and she couldn't find any trace of his chakra no-

No, wait. He was there, next to Sword and the few remaining Kumo-nin. His signature was even stranger now, flickering in and out of her senses like a candle puttering out in the face of a fierce wind. Was that due to the damage he had taken, or something else? Even as she began moving in that direction, his signature stabilized, slowly gaining strength and returning to the hollow cave-like feeling she had first sensed.

She kept part of her attention on the supposed Akatsuki ninja, who were hovering in the air nearly two miles away. They were stationary for the moment, no doubt trying to figure out if their attack had succeeded and licking their wounds. She didn't expect that to last very long, however.

As she approached the other ninja on the ground, she could make out Sword and the jinchuuriki standing next to each other, the younger ninja talking rapidly and gesturing wildly while Sword stood motionlessly, her blade held in front of her with two hands. The Kumo-nin were spread out around the clearing, some on the ground and some up in the trees; they were watching the situation closely, their hands and arms flickering as they signaled each other and tried to make a plan to counter their enemy.

Abruptly Sword spun in Yugito's direction, raising her blade and bringing it down in a powerful two-handed swipe. She didn't understand what the ninja was trying to do until she sensed the razor-sharp line of chakra barreling straight towards her. Yugito leapt to the side, avoiding the hit for the most part but still taking a glancing blow along her flank and through one of her tails. Her eyes widened as the line of chakra sliced through her form with ease, barely slowing as it passed. Her form restored itself in the wake of the attack with barely a swirl of chakra, but she knew if her real body had been in the way of that it would have been a different story.

The jinchuuriki had one hand on Sword's arm now, still talking rapidly. Yugito was close enough to make out some of what they were saying now.

"… aren't the real threat here. Akatsuki is … and they'll … if they can."

Part of Yugito bristled at the implied dismissal, but she could understand where the boy was coming from. Kumo _might _end up extracting the Tailed Beast from the boy and killing him, but there was at least a chance they would try to subvert him first; that bomb had made it clear to Yugito that the new arrivals were _not _here to help out the jinchuuriki, and capturing certainly wasn't their goal.

Yugito approached slowly, coming to a stop some distance away and making no overt threatening gestures - though she certainly didn't release her Tailed Beast form either. Sword seemed content with that, though the blade was still pointed in her direction.

"Please, Kaa-san, for me?"

Yugito's eyes widened as that bit of information filtered into her ears. Naruto Yamanaka was Kushina Uzumaki's _son_? Kushina Uzumaki, who had apparently gone missing shortly after her own son was born and spent over a decade parading around as a "independent contractor?" Just what the hell was going on in Konoha? That could have major implications for their own approach to the situation, and if things were as shady in Konoha as that information suggested… subverting the jinchuuriki might not be out of the question. Sword, who had just killed seven Kumo-nin, on the other hand…

Sword lowered the _nodachi _slightly, looking over at her son. "They aren't here to help you, Naruto-kun," she said, her voice distorted by the mask she was wearing. "They only care about what you have sealed inside of you."

"There are things they don't know, Kaa-san, and Akatsuki is a major part of that. If we get a chance to talk, things will change."

"**If you both surrender,**" Yugito called out, "**I give you my word that you will not be harmed.**"

"Just me," the jinchuuriki shot back immediately. "Sword will leave under her own power."

"Absolutely not!" Sword spat, the _nodachi _raising back to its previous position.

Further conversation was cut off when Akatsuki returned, hovering over their position several hundred feet in the air.

"Surrender the Kyuubi to us, and the rest of you may go free," a woman's voice called out. "We have no quarrel with you."

Sword stepped closer to the jinchuuriki, her blade shifting between Yugito and the ninja in the sky.

"**You are in Kumo territory,**" Yugito replied, her tails coiling behind her and her form shimmering with heat. "**Leave now or face the consequences.**"

Silence reigned for several seconds, each group tense and wary as they studied the others. Yugito could see the other Kumo-nin, especially Kirabi's team, were furious with the situation and were signaling their desire to kill both of the other teams. Sword and her son were standing back to back, the former scanning constantly for any sign of attack and the latter talking lowly, too low for Yugito to hear. The ninja in the sky were waiting patiently, their stance confident as they looked down on the gathered ninja.

Then one of the ninja in the sky began charging an attack, one that felt almost identical to the technique that had caused that explosion earlier.

"**Last chance!**" Yugito told them, crouching low and bringing up her tails to point at the Akatsuki members. The Kumo-nin around her shifted their stances to focus more on Akatsuki as the primary threat.

The group in the air made no reply, and the attack continued to charge.

"**You were warned!**" Yugito shouted, more for the benefit of her own team than her targets. Her tails twisted and a thick stream of fire shot into the air, narrowly missing the Akatsuki ninja as the one with the green wings pulled the others out of the way. The agile flier was forced to continue dodging as lightning techniques shot towards her, the much smaller but faster techniques just as effective at threatening her.

Yugito growled in frustration when she felt Sword and the jinchuuriki start running as they took advantage of the battle to try and escape.

"**Samui! Handle this!**" she called out before bounding after the fleeing ninja. She felt one of the fliers, the one who had hung back earlier, break off and follow her as well.

She caught up with Sword and the jinchuuriki less than a minute later and launched a large stream of fire to cut off their escape route. Sword immediately dropped her son, who she had been physically carrying as she fled, and sent another of those razor-sharp lines of chakra her way. She dodged enough to keep her real body safe and responded with a thick stream of fire that washed over the _nodachi_-wielding ninja. She kept it up for several seconds, growing concerned when the ninja's chakra did not falter under the onslaught at all.

Yugito dropped the attack to find a barrier made of interlocking chains surrounding Kushina and her son. Sword stepped out of the barrier, leaving the chains in place to protect the jinchuuriki as she moved out to engage her opponents directly.

"Perhaps we can help one another after all," a voice said from above Yugito, and she turned to find a blue-haired woman wearing a red and black cloak hovering above her, her pure white wings flapping lazily in the air. "We both seek the destruction of the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, it seems."

Yugito leapt aside as another of Sword's attack cut through her form, and the ninja in the air dodged one that had been sent her way.

"I will deal with those chains, so you may concentrate on turning Sword to ash," the woman announced. "Once she is dealt with, the jinchuuriki shall be easy prey.

"**You are hardly my ally**," Yugito pointed out suspiciously, keeping a wary eye on both Sword and the Akatsuki ninja.

"Of course not," the woman scoffed. "But we have the same goal for now, and that is enough."

The woman didn't bother saying anything else, instead sending out a stream of white… was that _paper_? Yes, she was sending out a stream of _paper_ towards Sword. The thin sheets plastered themselves across the chains that were sent out to intercept them, wrapping around the chakra constructs before beginning to glow. The chains flailed around for a moment, perhaps trying to shake the paper off, before they dissolved to be replaced by new chains.

Yugito's eyes narrowed as she considered the timing. It looked like the paper would either directly break the chains or force Kushina to release them for some reason; either way it would be enough of an opening for her fire to get through. Sword seemed to realize that as well, as she began flinging out those arcs of chakra that could slice through her form rapidly while she began dodging about, pulling their attention away from her son. Every slip of paper that even approached the barrier around him was intercepted or destroyed without fail. The jinchuuriki, still stuck within the barrier and now well away from the fight, began flexing and flaring his chakra as he finally prepared to take part in the battle himself.

The air around Yugito hissed as she pulled deeply on her Tailed Beast's chakra, her form turning to nearly an incandescent white as she prepared to unleash another attack. She didn't trust the other ninja at all, but she wasn't going to miss a chance to take care of one of her enemies either. She'd just have to be prepared to break off her attack at the first sign of the woman acting against her in any way; so far she had been focused on Sword, but Yugito wasn't foolish enough to believe that the other woman would pass up a chance to strike at her as well.

The jinchuuriki was pushing against the barrier around him, his face contorting into an angry growl as his efforts to escape were blocked. A high-pitched screech filled the air, though Yugito couldn't place the source of it. She could feel the jinchuuriki's chakra shifting again, that hollow quality fading and the feeling of being watched coming back stronger than ever. A flurry of paper surrounded Kushina, latching onto every chain she manifested and threatening to reach the woman herself, and Yugito acted.

The jinchuuriki somehow stepped _through _the barrier just as Yugito unleashed the stream of white-hot fire that slammed into the whirling mass of paper and chakra chains surrounding Sword. He let out a wordless scream of rage and thrust out his hands, and before she could break off her attack to deal with the new threat, the world flashed white.

Yugito felt something slam into her, and for the first time she could ever remember her Tailed Beast form itself felt _pain_. It felt like every bit of chakra the form contained had been turned into a nerve-ending then set on fire. Her stream of fire cut off abruptly as she collapsed, curling into a ball. The Tailed Beast form she had manifested temporarily lost cohesion, breaking apart in a wash of fire and chakra that flowed across the ground around her. She heard the ear-splitting crack a moment later, sounding for all the world like the an entire mountain had just split in half.

The source of the pain vanished just as quickly as it had come, though the echoes of it lingered throughout her body. She felt the Tailed Beast's chakra surrounding her again in a soothing embrace and focused on that as she forced her body to respond. She scrambled to her feet and quickly took stock of the situation: the jinchuuriki was nowhere to be seen, nor could she feel his chakra anywhere; the same was true of Sword - the only sign of her last stand was the uneven scorch marks on the ground and the burning bits of paper floating in the breeze; the Akatsuki ninja was-

Yugito heard the flutter of paper around her and flared her chakra to destroy them, but it was already too late. She could feel the Tailed Beast's chakra retreating back into her body, slipping through her gasp and leaving her panting on the ground. More paper slapped onto her exposed skin, sending jolts of pain through her before she collapsed, unable to control her limbs.

"My apologies, little one," the woman said, her tone distracted. "We were going to leave you for later, but this… this changes things. To see the Hiraishin _now_…"

Yugito wanted to fight back, wanted to ask what the woman was talking about, but she felt her consciousness slipping away before she could.

~ End Chapter ~

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews! And thanks to the SB forums for providing feedback and criticism on this chapter.**


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